How Neal McDonough’s Unwavering Faith Changed His Hollywood Career
By Movieguide® Contributor
Once a hot-shot in Hollywood, actor Neal McDonough was shunned by the industry because of his bold faith, however, he has since found new life through faith-based projects.
“We all know that I kind of went through troubles years back because I won’t kiss another woman on screen,” McDonough told Fox Business. “At the time it was painful. I didn’t work for two years; I lost everything, house, cars and this and that. It was one of the most brutal times in my life.”
McDonough was blacklisted by Hollywood because he wasn’t willing to blindly do everything production asked of him. He had a foundation in Christ that came before his career, and the entertainment industry didn’t respect that.
“I am very religious. I put God and family first, and me second. That’s what I live by. It was hard for a few years,” he said.
Years later, he was given an opportunity to return, and after proving his talent was too good to pass up, McDonough began to see roles again. However, he was often cast as a villain because they don’t typically have the sex or kissing scenes that McDonough wasn’t willing to perform.
“My wife helped me get through it, my belief in who I am and what I stand for, and now, here I am, 10, 15 years later because of that with films with Angel Studios and THE SHIFT that just came out and LAST RODEO, the next one that I wrote,” McDonough said. “Also, HOMESTEAD, the series I finished producing with my wife.”
“It’s incredible where I am now. I finally get to be the heroes in film, in TV shows, instead of the villain,” he continued, explaining how the thing that got him fired from the industry has come full circle. “In the next film, THE LAST RODEO, I kiss someone on screen.”
“It flashes back to my deceased wife, and who else is playing that but my actual wife. I said, ‘I’m famous for one take for my acting. It might be 20 takes [for that scene].’ I will milk that kiss,” he joked.
McDonough’s upcoming HOMESTEAD series is a “hope-filled, family apocalypse story.”
“A string of attacks and collapses drives troubled Green Beret Jeff Kirkham to take a job as head of security for a wealthy doomsday prepper, Jason Ross,” a description of HOMESTEAD reads. “Ross has built an elaborate permaculture compound for friends and family. As the fabric of America goes to pieces, a few dozen families scramble to ‘The Homestead’ in a last-ditch effort to survive.”
Though being blacklisted by Hollywood led to an extremely difficult period of McDonough’s life, he is thankful for the place it has brought him today. Not only has he stayed true to his beliefs, but he also gets to create movies that champion those beliefs and encourage other Christians.
Movieguide® previously reported:
Veteran actor Neal McDonough, known for roles in iconic TV series like BAND OF BROTHERS and movies like THE MINORITY REPORT and CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER, recently shared the role his faith played after Hollywood blacklisted him.
In 2010, production fired McDonough from the ABC series SCOUNDRELS because he refused to do on-screen sex scenes.
“There was a time when I wasn’t working,” McDonough told Fox News Digital. “I couldn’t get a job because people thought I was this crazy religious guy. But that wasn’t the case. I love my wife, but I love my acting too. I was hopeful that, at some point, someone would give me a chance again.”
McDonough is open about his faith, which he won’t compromise on for the sake of a role.
“I won’t kiss any other woman because these lips are meant for one woman,” he said after pressure to perform on-screen kisses.
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4000+ Faith Based Articles and Movie Reviews – Will you Support Us?
Our small team works tirelessly to provide resources to protect families from harmful media, reviewing 415 movies/shows and writing 3,626 uplifting articles this year. We believe that the gospel can transform entertainment. That’s why we emphasize positive and faith-filled articles and entertainment news, and release hundreds of Christian movie reviews to the public, for free. No paywalls, just trusted, biblically sound content to bless you and your family. Online, Movieguide is the closest thing to a biblical entertainment expert at your fingertips. As a reader-funded operation, we welcome any and all contributions – so if you can, please give something. It won’t take more than 52 seconds (we timed it for you). Thank you.
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