Rob Mac and Kaitlin Olson have been supported by their friends. (Image: Getty Images)
Hollywood stars and Wrexham figures Kaitlin Olson and Rob Mac have been inundated with support following Olson’s announcement of her father’s death in a deeply moving social media post. Olson, who is married to McElhenney and has become a familiar face to Wrexham fans through the couple’s association with the club, posted a poignant tribute to her father, Donald Lee Olson, on Instagram.
The actress wrote: “Honestly it feels a little gross to bring this to social media. It’s too fragile and too private. But nothing feels more wrong than to just move on with life as if the worst thing in the world didn’t happen. As if everything that matters didn’t just suddenly end. My dad died. My first love, my first protector and my forever favorite person.”
She added: “He fought so hard and so long to stay with us. I hate words right now. None are good enough to describe who he was.
“The luckiest thing to happen to me in this lifetime was getting him as my dad. Maybe the second was the gift of holding him on his way out. I love you, daddy. I will keep all my promises. Just like you.”
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Accompanying the tribute, Olson posted a collection of family photographs, including snapshots of herself with her father and images also featuring McElhenney.
McElhenney, co-owner of Wrexham alongside Ryan Reynolds, left his own heartfelt message in the comments section.
He wrote: “Words are impossible. There is no one like him. My whole goal in life is to be half the man he was.
“I’ve never seen a person love someone the way he loved you. I am so grateful that he lived and so proud that I got to be his son for the past 17 years.”
Kaitlin Olson’s father tragically died. (Image: Getty Images)
The post swiftly drew an outpouring of support from fellow actors and close friends.
Actor Dax Shepard wrote: “Don was a cool, tall, handsome, man-among-men who emitted high voltage integrity at all times.”
He went on to say: “I thought many times when I was around him, ‘Yeah, that’s exactly who I wanna be when I’m older. That’s the kind of father, husband and person I wanna be.'”
Mary Elizabeth Ellis, actress in Always Sunny and wife of co-star Charlie Day, commented: “I love you. What a great guy. I’m grateful I got to know him some:) He raised a truly wonderful, loving, caring woman.”
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Further tributes arrived from other Always Sunny cast members, including Jimmi Simpson, who wrote “I love you, precious soul”, David Hornsby, who said his family was “sending love”, and Melanie Lynskey, who added: “Sending you so much love.”
Olson, best known for her role in the hugely popular US comedy It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and crime drama High Potential, has spoken warmly about Wrexham in recent years as the club’s remarkable ascent under McElhenney and Reynolds has gathered pace.
Speaking on ITV’s Lorraine last year, Olson expressed her fondness for the city and its football club, who earlier this month narrowly fell short of securing a place in the Championship play-offs.
She said: “I love it. We love it over there so much. It’s just so much fun and we’ve really fallen in love, obviously with the football club, but with the town as well.
“The people are so wonderful and we go over as often as possible.”
McElhenney and Olson first crossed paths while starring alongside one another in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia before tying the knot in 2008. The couple share two sons together.