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Rob McElhenney talks growing up in Philly, cheesesteaks on Marc Maron’s ‘WTF’ podcast

The last time we saw Rob McElhenney, he was showing off his regrettable Bill Cosby tattoo to Conan’s studio audience. Last week, though, he stopped by comedian Marc Maron’s WTF podcast to talk about his new movie, Figment, cheesesteaks, and growing up in “scrappy” South Philly.

The last time we saw Rob McElhenney, he was showing off his regrettable Bill Cosby tattoo to Conan's studio audience. Last week, though, he stopped by comedian Marc Maron's WTF podcast to talk about his new movie, Figment, cheesesteaks, and growing up in "scrappy" South Philly.

"Cheesesteaks, unfortunately, are what the city is most famous for," McElhenney says at the top of the interview. "I can barely muscle down one of those cheesesteaks anymore."

McElhenney, a Pennsport native, grew up just blocks from the Geno's and Pat's corner of East Passyunk, meaning he knows a little bit about steaks despite not being able to finish one these days. He does note that, like Maron, he tends to "go for the roast pork," though as a Philly boy he will always have his favorite.

"I was always partial to Jim's, which is on South Street," he told Maron.

Despite that allegiance, McElhenney says that he thinks it's "so sad" that people tend to just want to talk about sandwiches when they find out he's from Philly.

"I find it so sad that whenever I talk about Philadelphia," McElhenney said, "the first thing that comes up is my allegiance to some sandwich as opposed to it being the birthplace of our nation."

"Well, it's the birthplace of a sandwich, too," Maron responded. "It's hard to figure out what's more important sometimes."

And just like he cannot escape the cheesesteak, McElhenney, like us, cannot escape his hoagiemouth. At one point during the interview, Maron wonders if the Philly accent we know and love returns when McElhenney heads home.

"Without a doubt — almost immediately," he said. "But it depends on how much I'm arguing."

Check out the full interview here.

[WTF]