Rob McElhenney reveals how Wrexham AFC shield was created for comedy show

Rob McElhenney has revealed how a special Wrexham AFC shield was created for an American comedy show.

The actor, who co-owns the Welsh football club with Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds, explained that he asked the art department to make it for the Apple TV+ programme Mythic Quest while the handover process was taking place.

He said it was uncertain if the deal would actually go through at the time, but he decided to just “shoot it and see what happens”.

The show follows the story of a video game studio that produces the popular Mythic Quest game, and McElhenney plays the character of its creator Ian Grimm.

In the multiplayer role play game, players often inhabit a science fiction or fantasy world.

The Wrexham AFC club badge features in the standalone episode “Mythic Quest: Everlight”, where the characters ended up in a “magical forest”.

It debuted three weeks ahead of the nine-episode second season, and includes narration from Welsh actor Anthony Hopkins.

McElhenney who is also they show’s co-creator and showrunner told BBC Newsbeat: “We were in the middle of the handover process when we were shooting this episode, and there was still a chance that it wasn’t going to go through, and I just said to the art department ‘I want you to build me a shield, and I want you to put this on it [Wrexham AFC badge], this image.

“And they were like ‘what’s this?’, and I said ‘don’t worry about it, just put it on the shield, put it on the shield’.

“Our property master was like ‘why are you putting this on here?’, and I was like ‘don’t worry about it, don’t worry about it, we’’ just shoot it and see what happens’.

“Luckily the takeover occurred, and we made the episode and I was able to put it out there.”

‘Buy’ 

He was asked by Newsbeat reporter, Betty Glove why he decided he wanted to buy Wrexham AFC.

The actor replied: “Well Betty, why not Wrexham? Wrexham reminded me of Philadelphia to be honest with you, the people of Wrexham.

“It’s a working class town, and it’s a tough people, and the club is tough and working class, and that’s what we were going for.”

The reporter asked: “Have you been to Wrexham yet?”

He responded: “Not yet. Hey, I’m fully vaccinated, I’m vaccinated, I’m ready.

“I know the UK’s looking pretty good too, so I can’t wait to get over there”

McElhenney also revealed how he was able to keep up with Wrexham AFC matches during the production of the show.

He said: “We spent so much time during production shooting very early morning, which is great for the US because the games are on in the afternoons or at night, which is in Los Angeles obviously very early in the morning.

“So it was great to be able to get up, go to Mythic Quest, shoot all day and be behind the monitors, whether I was directing an episode or acting in the episode, I was always constantly checking either the scores or the actual game.”