Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers

Episode: CHARLIE DAY & MARY ELIZABETH ELLIS Take Yearly Trips to Destin, Florida!!!

Release Date: October 14, 2025
Guests: Charlie Day & Mary Elizabeth Ellis
Hosts: Seth Meyers & Josh Meyers

Overview

In this warm and funny episode, Seth and Josh Meyers welcome real-life couple and comedic talents Charlie Day and Mary Elizabeth Ellis—well-known for their roles on "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"—to dissect their childhoods, family traditions, and memorably chaotic vacations. The conversation bounces from Southern beach trips and gun-range churches to Rhode Island adolescence, dental mishaps, and the quirks of every kind of family road trip.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Opening Catch-Up & Meyers Brothers Banter

• Seth and Josh start by chatting about New England autumns and family bike rides ([00:00–02:00]).

• Recap of Josh’s Gavin Newsom appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in Brooklyn, including the nerves and fun backstage moments ([02:20–07:03]).

  "For the 3200 people in the house that night, I would guess maybe 2,000 of them definitely thought it was Gavin Newsom for the first five to ten seconds." – Seth [04:42]

• Pet peeves about airplane etiquette—loud talkers vs. crying babies, and the rare successful moment when people actually wait so those with connections can deplane first ([07:28–10:09]).

Introduction of the Guests ([11:14–12:21])

• The hosts introduce Charlie Day and Mary Elizabeth Ellis, highlighting their work in "Always Sunny," "New Girl," "Reno911," and more.

Mary Elizabeth Ellis: Growing Up in Laurel, Mississippi ([18:30–22:56])

• Small Town Fame & "Hometown": Shares her pride in seeing her guidance counselor on TV thanks to the HGTV show "Hometown," set in her literal hometown.
• Local Hero Influence: Parker Posey was a high school inspiration, with photos all over the school’s drama department.
• Accent and Family Roots: Mary Elizabeth reflects on her childhood Southern accent, her parents’ enduring Mississippi cadence, and attending SMU in Dallas due to parental proximity rules.

"There’s an HGTV show called Hometown that is my hometown. … It's my guidance counselor! It's my guidance counselor!" – Mary Elizabeth [19:18]

Gun Ranges, Catfish Shacks, and Southern Church Splits ([31:31–32:41])

• Mary Elizabeth describes her church temporarily meeting at a gun range after splitting, before moving to the Catfish Shack.

  "We went to church at the gun range every Sunday. And then when the gun range wouldn’t let us go there anymore, we moved to the catfish shack." – Mary Elizabeth [31:35] "Would they withhold firing during services?" – Josh (joking) [32:09]

Charlie Day: A Rhode Island Beach Kid’s Perspective ([37:05–39:48])

• Beach Upbringing: Charlie describes growing up in Middletown next to Newport, RI, experiencing tourist influxes, but mostly enjoying a close-knit local scene.
• Summer Jobs: Recalls a one-day stint at Via Via Pizza, then performing janitorial duties at a gym made famous by Arnold Schwarzenegger’s training during "True Lies" filming.

  "Women’s room, far more disgusting than the men’s." – Charlie [39:28]

Family Vacations: Florida, Condos, and Hurricanes ([36:04–37:05], [41:50–44:48])

• Redneck Riviera: Mary Elizabeth’s family owned a beach house in Navarre, Florida, built by her grandfather—the third house on that stretch of beach—until Hurricane Ivan destroyed it.
• Extended Family Logistics: The condo became a reunion hub for loud, packed, multi-family summers, now evolved into separate condo rentals to keep the peace.
• Kids’ Comforts vs. Old-School Vacations: The guests lament how their child’s vacations are far more luxurious—comparing featherbeds and multi-pillow nights to their own “towels on the floor” upbringing.

  “I don’t think our kid has ever slept like that… he’s always had like his own feather mattress and whatever hotel suite that we stay in…” – Mary Elizabeth [42:44]

Family Travel Stories: Dentistry, Shooting, and Road Trips ([27:23–30:09], [47:01–48:08])

• Meeting the Parents—a Cautionary Tale: Charlie’s first visit to Mississippi involved an impromptu, marathon dental procedure by Mary Elizabeth’s father, who’s a dentist:

  "So the day I met her father, he drilled my face for like two hours. I was sweating...what am I doing in southern Mississippi getting my face drilled by this man?" – Charlie [28:08]

• First Time Shooting Guns: Charlie’s disastrous introduction to Southern gun culture (“I missed the entire lake. I could have killed a hiker…”) [29:41].

• Ellis Family’s Southern Rules: Only shooting at inanimate targets; stories on church splits, BB guns for babies, and catfish shack gatherings.

Day Family Travel: Planes, Cars, and Radio Silence ([45:13–48:20])

• Charlie’s only childhood plane trip: a big second-grade adventure to France and Germany, after which he didn’t fly again until showbiz auditions as an adult ([45:13–46:59]).
• Road-tripping to Philly via slow-motion, music-less drives because Charlie’s music-teacher parents removed the car radio to save $25:

  "There was a little plastic plate on the car that said ‘Honda’ where the radio goes." – Charlie [48:15]

"Always Sunny in Philadelphia": The Early Years and Lasting Legacy ([50:21–54:47])

• Origins of the Philly Setting: The decision to set the show in an “underdog” city was influenced by both Charlie and Rob McElhenney’s Philly roots. A rare instance of a network giving an actually good note ([49:21–50:51]).
• Scriptwriting in Florida: Early seasons were written by Charlie by hand in Florida and faxed from Kinko's.
• Real-Life Couples on TV: The hosts reflect on how fun it was to realize Charlie and Mary Elizabeth, whose characters have a famously dysfunctional relationship, were a couple off-screen.

Nostalgic & Absurd Childhood Stories ([60:33–64:11])

• Freedom: Then vs. Now: Both guests discuss the hands-off approach of their childhood—latchkey kids free to roam, ride bikes, and even evade police during teenage pranks.

  "We would just go wherever. I would take my bike in anywhere… and do crazy—like get in the back of my friend's dad's pickup truck and go over the bridge and hide when we went through the toll booth…" – Charlie [61:39]

• Contrast with Raising Their Son: Now living in LA, their son’s community is walled, hilly, and less conducive to bike mischief. They lament the loss of that kind of autonomy for kids ([59:56–60:37]).

Guns, Traditions, and Grandparents ([65:38–67:57])

• Young Russell Day was gifted a BB gun immediately after birth—but only recently, at age 13, is he interested in using it.
• Louisiana Christmases, catching crawfish in the ditch, and generations-old family homes.

Pop Culture Touchstones and Family Reunions ([68:12–69:53])

• Movies on Planes: Reminiscing about the emotional gut punch of "Saving Private Ryan" and its all-star ensemble, plus Spielberg’s deep cultural footprint (and the jaw-dropping Jaws anniversary on Martha’s Vineyard).
• *Jaws-shaped culture in New England and the lasting pride locals have in being the site of such films.

Football, Fame, and Southern Hospitality ([70:32–71:44])

• Ole Miss Football as Ritual: Mary Elizabeth explains the high society of SEC tailgating (“tents with chandeliers and chocolate fondue...People get dressed to the nines and then get wasted and throw up on themselves. It’s fantastic.”) [71:41]
• Challenges of Returning Home as a Celebrity Couple: It’s now harder to blend in at hometown events with growing fame.

Speed Round ([73:11–75:27])

• Ideal vacation?

  • Charlie: Relaxing
  • Mary Elizabeth: Adventure

• Favorite transportation?

  • Both: Train

• Dream family to vacation with?

  • Mary Elizabeth: The Sedaris family
  • Charlie: The Spielbergs (as long as he can ask, “How’d you do that shot?”)

  "He talks like that on vacation, it's so annoying." – Mary Elizabeth (about Charlie’s hypothetical vacation voice) [74:41]

• Desert island companion?

  • Both: Each other

• Pitch your hometown?

  • Charlie: “Beautiful beaches, great restaurants. Home of Charlie Day.” [75:52]
  • Mary Elizabeth: “Hey, y’all. Come to Laurel, touch the trees, look at some art. You might be able to high five Parker Posey.” [76:23]

• Have they been to the Grand Canyon?

  • Yes, on a freezing cross-country road trip, remembered largely for their dog’s steaming breath (and rear) in the cold.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On childhood vacations:

  “It was always packed. Four bedrooms with like a big living area — a full family in each bedroom… You’re with your family and on the floor, just on one blanket… If you were lucky, maybe a pillow.” – Mary Elizabeth [42:06]

• On writing "Sunny":

  "Charlie was writing the first season on like a yellow legal pad…at our beach house in Florida and then driving across the bridge to the FedEx Kinko’s to use the fax machine." – Mary Elizabeth [52:33]

• On local fame and role models:

  "Growing up there were like pictures of Parker Posey all over the walls of the drama department. So it felt very like, oh, this is like, a real thing." – Mary Elizabeth [19:05]

• On New England kid independence:

  "I mean, I was the biggest latchkey kid… just being like, see ya. I'm out in the neighborhood and getting into whatever…" – Charlie [60:45]

• On church at a gun range:

  "Our church moved to the gun range because that’s where there was open space… when the gun range wouldn’t let us go there anymore, we moved to the catfish shack." – Mary Elizabeth [31:35]

• On Ole Miss:

  "They set up, like, tents with chandeliers and, like, chocolate fondue stations… People will get dressed to the nines and then get wasted and throw up on themselves." – Mary Elizabeth [71:41]

Important Timestamps

• [00:00–02:04] — Seth and Josh catch up: autumns, family bike rides.
• [13:06] — Guests join: Charlie and Mary in separate rooms, same house.
• [14:36] — Remembering Lynne Marie Stewart’s (Ms. Yvonne) memorial luau.
• [18:59] — Mary Elizabeth’s Laurel, Mississippi upbringing & local TV fame.
• [22:00] — Accent stories and meeting the Ellis parents.
• [27:23] — Charlie’s first trip to Mississippi includes amateur dentistry.
• [29:38] — Charlie’s first time shooting guns: “I missed the entire lake.”
• [31:35] — Mississippi church meets at gun range, then catfish shack.
• [36:04 & 42:06] — Family reunions at Florida beach house, hurricane stories.
• [45:13–46:59] — Charlie’s only childhood plane trip, followed by years of travel drought.
• [48:06] — The Honda radio-ectomy and silent road trips.
• [49:21] — "Always Sunny" origin story, Philly connection.
• [52:33] — Faxing scripts from Kinko's.
• [54:44] — Realizing fans don’t always know they’re married in real life.
• [61:39] — Latchkey freedom in Rhode Island.
• [70:46–71:44] — Ole Miss tailgating, SEC football culture.
• [73:11–76:23] — Speed round: travel preferences, dream travel companions, hometown pitches.
• [76:37–77:38] — Grand Canyon anecdote: “I will never forget the steam coming out of our dog's butthole as he pees.”

Flow & Tone

The tone is a perfect blend of affectionate nostalgia, sibling sarcasm, and loving mockery, both between the Meyers brothers and with their guests. There’s a seamless shift between grounded, relatable family complaints (lost towels, loud airplane talkers) and surreal recollections (church at a gun range, dental cleanings as courtship rituals). The conversation feels loose but heartfelt—with a few detours into pop culture, child-rearing philosophies, and the universal desire to impart a bit of messy, memorable fun to the next generation.

For New Listeners

If you love hearing extraordinary people reminisce about extraordinarily ordinary family moments—and want to laugh while learning that almost every family trip ends in sand, sweat, or a surprise dental procedure—this is a perfect episode to sample.

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