Thesy Surface is a British actress and writer, known for portraying Margaret McPoyle in the US television sitcom It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. 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.
Early life and education Surface grew up in London and became involved in theatre as a child. 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. 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.
Career
Television and film Surface began appearing in the sitcom It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia as Margaret McPoyle, a member of the recurring McPoyle family. 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. 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. For the role, she underwent a makeup process lasting roughly one and a half to two hours to create the character’s appearance. Surface returned to the role in several later episodes, including appearances in 2010, 2012 and 2016.
Surface's portrayal of Margaret McPoyle has continued to be featured in retrospective coverage of the McPoyle family and their role in the series. 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. Her other television credits include guest appearances in Chuck, Walliams & Friend and White Gold. Her film work has included Glory Days and the 2020 thriller The Host. Surface later said that she voluntarily stepped away from acting for a period while living in London, before returning to performance work.
Theatre and writing By 2013, Surface had begun focusing increasingly on screenwriting, describing writing as a new creative direction that grew out of her acting work. She later said that she preferred writing to pursuing small episodic acting roles, while continuing to perform. 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.
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. 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. Surface played Lady Mary and was credited as an adaptor alongside Sopher.
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. 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. Surface has also developed an original one-woman show, Evil Queen in a Tourist Shop, based on an unfinished novella she wrote.
Filmography
Film YearTitleRoleRef2006CrackpotCocktail Guest2011SpooksNurse Olga2014Glory DaysHayley2020The HostLondon Bank Customer
Television Year(s)TitleRoleNotesRef2006–2016It’s Always Sunny in PhiladelphiaMargaret McPoyle / Poss McPoyle6 episodes2009I Didn’t Know I Was PregnantNurse1 episode2011ChuckParty Goer“Chuck Versus the Masquerade”2015Walliams & FriendSarah Willingham2017White GoldParty Girl
Theatre +YearProductionRole / creditVenue / notesRef2024Under the BarrelSuzanneInteractive murder-mystery production2024Lady Montagu UnveiledLady Mary Wortley Montagu; adaptorBrighton Fringe, Camden Fringe and King's Head Theatre, London2025The Many Lives of Lady MPerformer; adaptive writerHollywood Fringe Festival, Zephyr Theatre, Los Angeles
References
External links
Official website