Thesy Surface
Thesy Surface is a British actress and writer, known for portraying Margaret McPoyle in the US television sitcom It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.[1] She has also worked in theatre, including as the performer and adaptive writer of the one-woman show Lady Montagu Unveiled, later presented in the United States as The Many Lives of Lady M.[2][3]
Early life and education
[edit]Surface grew up in London and became involved in theatre as a child.[1] She has said that her first stage performance was at age seven, when she appeared as the Bi-Coloured Python Rock Snake in a school production of The Elephant's Child, for which she received a junior drama award.[4] She later pursued theatre while attending a liberal arts college and undertook summer acting training in New York, including courses at New York University and the Atlantic Theater Company.[5]
Career
[edit]Television and film
[edit]Surface began appearing in the sitcom It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia as Margaret McPoyle, a member of the recurring McPoyle family.[1] Surface later recalled that the role was cast at short notice after she met director Dan Attias and cast members Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton and Rob McElhenney, and that she was hired the same day.[6] Because Margaret is a non-speaking character, Surface said that she relied on facial expressions and physical mannerisms in her performance, with Day suggesting the character's distinctive tongue movement.[6] For the role, she underwent a makeup process lasting roughly one and a half to two hours to create the character’s appearance.[1] Surface returned to the role in several later episodes, including appearances in 2010, 2012 and 2016.[7]
Surface's portrayal of Margaret McPoyle has continued to be featured in retrospective coverage of the McPoyle family and their role in the series.[8] In a 2010 interview, Surface said that she regarded Margaret McPoyle's memorability as more important than the size of the role, despite the character having no dialogue.[9] Her other television credits include guest appearances in Chuck, Walliams & Friend and White Gold.[10] Her film work has included Glory Days and the 2020 thriller The Host.[10] Surface later said that she voluntarily stepped away from acting for a period while living in London, before returning to performance work.[6]
Theatre and writing
[edit]By 2013, Surface had begun focusing increasingly on screenwriting, describing writing as a new creative direction that grew out of her acting work.[11] She later said that she preferred writing to pursuing small episodic acting roles, while continuing to perform.[11][12] Surface appeared as Suzanne in Simon Kerkham's interactive murder-mystery production Under the Barrel, in 2024. Reviewing the production for Voice Magazine, June Sloat noted Surface's highly exaggerated and audience-interactive portrayal of the character, while describing the production as an immersive comedy mystery.[13]
Also in 2024, Surface starred in and co-adapted the one-woman play Lady Montagu Unveiled, based on an original script by Duncan Hopper about the life of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu.[4] The production appeared at the Brighton and Camden fringe festivals before a December run at the King's Head Theatre in London. At the Camden Fringe, it played three performances at the Courtyard Theatre from 23 to 25 August 2024, directed by Julia Sopher and produced by Hopper.[14] Surface played Lady Mary and was credited as an adaptor alongside Sopher.[15]
The production was subsequently reworked as The Many Lives of Lady M for its United States premiere at the 2025 Hollywood Fringe Festival in Los Angeles. Surface was credited as both performer and adaptive writer, with Hopper as the original writer and producer.[16] A review by GiaOnTheMove noted Surface's adaptation of the material and praised her portrayal of Montagu, while observing that the revised production was still developing its staging and structure.[2] Surface has also developed an original one-woman show, Evil Queen in a Tourist Shop, based on an unfinished novella she wrote.[3]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Crackpot | Cocktail Guest | |
| 2011 | Spooks | Nurse Olga | |
| 2014 | Glory Days | Hayley | |
| 2020 | The Host | London Bank Customer |
Television
[edit]| Year(s) | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–2016 | It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia | Margaret McPoyle / Poss McPoyle | 6 episodes | [17][18] |
| 2009 | I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant | Nurse | 1 episode | |
| 2011 | Chuck | Party Goer | “Chuck Versus the Masquerade” | [7] |
| 2015 | Walliams & Friend | Sarah Willingham | ||
| 2017 | White Gold | Party Girl |
Theatre
[edit]| Year | Production | Role / credit | Venue / notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Under the Barrel | Suzanne | Interactive murder-mystery production | [13] |
| 2024 | Lady Montagu Unveiled | Lady Mary Wortley Montagu; adaptor | Brighton Fringe, Camden Fringe and King's Head Theatre, London | [4][15] |
| 2025 | The Many Lives of Lady M | Performer; adaptive writer | Hollywood Fringe Festival, Zephyr Theatre, Los Angeles | [16][2] |
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 Lewis, Thomas Attila (2010-09-16). "TV Junkie: Interview with Thesy Surface aka Margaret McPoyle of 'It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia'". LAist. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- 1 2 3 Paleo, Tracey (2025-06-14). "#HFF25: THE MANY LIVES OF LADY M, reviewed". GiaOnTheMove.com. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- 1 2 "Interview: Meeting A Lady At Camden Fringe". Everything Theatre. 10 August 2024. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Thesy Surface - Lady Montagu Unveiled Interview". Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ Laracca, Tyler (2025-05-02). "Thesy Surface - Pretend Worlds Real People - Podcast Episode - Podscan.fm". www.podscan.fm. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- 1 2 3 VanHooker, Brian (2025-07-08). "'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Thesy Surface on Playing the Offensively Strange Margaret McPoyle". Cracked.com. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- 1 2 "Thesy Surface | TVmaze". www.tvmaze.com. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ "The McPoyles Are the Bread and Butter (And Milk) of 'Always Sunny' theCHIVE". 2026-02-20. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ Andelman, Mr Media® Interviews-Bob (2010-08-26). "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia! | Mr. Media® Interviews". mrmedia.com. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- 1 2 "Thesy Surface List of Movies and TV Shows - TV Guide". www.tvguide.com. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- 1 2 Koff, Derek de (2019-02-12). "Margaret McPoyle From Always Sunny Is Gorgeous In Real Life". Nicki Swift. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ Post, Guest (2013-07-16). "The Rise of the Actor-Writer". Daily Actor: Monologues, Acting Tips, Interviews, Resources. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- 1 2 "Under the Barrel- Murder Mystery Review". Voice Magazine. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ Theatre, Everything (2024-08-18). "Podcast: The Hippest Historical Stage Memoir In Town". Everything Theatre. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- 1 2 "Lady Montagu Unveiled in Inner London: Theatre tickets, show details, cast, and more". 2024-11-05. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- 1 2 "Hollywood Fringe - the many lives of lady m". hollywoodfringe.org. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia credits - Metacritic". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved 2026-09-29.
- ↑ "Thesy Surface Movies and Shows" (Actor profile / streaming catalogue). Apple TV. Retrieved 29 September 2026.