Neal McDonough is a Hollywood actor who is best known for his high-profile roles in television shows and films such as Band of Brothers, Desperate Housewives, Captain America: The First Avenger, Arrow, and Yellowstone. Most recently, from 2019 to 2020, McDonough portrayed General James Harding in Project Blue Book. In addition to his acting skills, McDonough is famous for his unwavering commitment to his faith and family.
Despite being a talented performer, McDonough has often put his principles and religious convictions above his career, earning him a reputation as a controversial figure in the entertainment industry. Despite the backlash he has faced, McDonough has remained steadfast in his beliefs, choosing to put his faith and family first, even if it means being hated by the industry.
In this video, we will explore McDonough’s fascinating journey in Hollywood, how he has balanced his career with his beliefs, and what lessons can be learned from his story. Whether you are a fan of McDonough’s work or not, his story is a testament to the power of staying true to one’s values, even when it is not easy or popular.
Facts Verse Presents: He Refuses to Kiss Anyone But His Wife – Hollywood HATES Him
His Acting Chops Speak For Themselves
Neal McDonough’s rise to fame in Hollywood began in the early 1990s when he made his acting debut on stage. Over the next few years, he appeared in various television shows and films, such as Star Trek: First Contact, JAG, and NYPD Blue, while gradually building a reputation as a talented and versatile performer.
One of McDonough’s breakthrough roles was in the acclaimed HBO miniseries “Band of Brothers,” where he played Lynn “Buck” Compton. The series was widely praised for its authenticity and intense portrayal of the experiences of American soldiers during World War II, and McDonough’s performance was singled out for its emotional depth and nuance.
After “Band of Brothers,” McDonough went on to star in several other popular television shows, including “Desperate Housewives” and “Arrow,” where he played the villain Damien Darhk. He also appeared in several big-budget films, including “Captain America: The First Avenger” and “Minority Report,” cementing his status as a sought-after actor in Hollywood.
In recent years, McDonough has continued to work in both television and film, showcasing his versatility as an actor and his commitment to his craft. In 2019, he was cast in the role of Malcolm Beck in the critically acclaimed drama series Yellowstone. Since then, he’s appeared in offerings such as Altered Carbon, American Horror Story: Double Feature, and 9-1-1 Lone Star.
Despite some controversies over his refusal to play certain roles that he felt were inconsistent with his values, McDonough has remained one of the most recognizable and respected actors in the industry, known for his talent, dedication, and unwavering principles.
While we’ve firmly established the fact that Neal McDonough is a very talented and accomplished actor, let’s take a closer look at how his morals and convictions have made him a pariah of sorts among his Hollywood peers.
He’s Committed To His Wife And Devoted To God
At 57, McDonough is dedicated to his wife, model Ruve Robertson. The couple have been happily married for the last two decades after tying the knot in 2003. With Robertson, McDonough has had 5 children whom he loves and cherishes.
As a devout Catholic and family man, Neal has enacted a strict policy in which he refuses to do love scenes. That policy cost him a role on the short-lived primetime soap Scoundrels in 2010. When asked about this somewhat unorthodox policy, Neal explained that he won’t kiss any other woman because his lips are ‘meant only for one woman’. He’s also expressed repeatedly that he refuses to take the Lord’s name in vain.
In an interview with Closer magazine, McDonough revealed that he and his wife first met on St. Patrick”s Day on the first night he was in England for the filming of Band Of Brothers. Apparently it was love at first sight after the two literally bumped into each other on the street. From the moment that their eye’s locked, they both evidently realized that they had a deep, almost unexplainable connection.
The following morning, Neal called his girlfriend at the time and apologized while informing her that it wasn’t going to work out. In fact, the story gets crazier, as Neal apparently told her that he had just met the woman that he was destined to marry.
When Closer asked him if he and Robertson ended up getting their ‘happily ever after’, McDonough professed that they had and that he felt like the most blessed guy in the world. He went on to discuss how that’s why he attends church every day and thanks God for the life he has been given at every opportunity that he gets.
Avoiding Love Scenes Has Been A Challenge
In that interview with Closer, McDonough touched briefly on his role in Desperate Housewives. When the show’s creator Marc Cherry first signed him, he explained that he was unwilling to kiss anyone on screen . Cherry replied by saying “but this is Desperate Housewives!”, to which Neal responded with “I know”. After pausing briefly, Cherry gave in and said that he’d just have to “write better”.
While Cherry was willing to accommodate McDonough, not everyone in the industry has been as accepting of his moral beliefs.
Three days into filming ABC’s Scoundrels in 2010, McDonough was replaced by actor David James Elliott. ABC referred to this change up as merely as a routine “casting change”, but in reality, Neal’s firing was entirely prompted by his religious views. Granted, it shouldn’t come as that big of a surprise to anyone that a soap opera would call for an actor to participate in sex scenes, but McDonough had been very open about his unwillingness to do so from right out of the gate.
After getting the ax, McDonough found himself in a very uncomfortable position in which he probably felt like his entire career was coming unraveled. He struggled to find work after Scoundrels gave him the boot because everybody then thought of his as some kind of religious zealot.
That being said, Neal has never been shy about discussing his beliefs. He is very proud of the fact that he has strong religious beliefs and says that he always puts God and his family first. That’s just what he believes in, and it’s by those principles that he’s lived by for many years – even when that meant missing out on potentially lucrative roles.
He’s Launched His Own Production Company
After being fried from Scoundrels over his refusal to appear in love scenes, McDonough basically lost everything. In recent years he’s revealed that that incident essentially left him ostracized and blacklisted in the Hollywood community.
During this particularly rough patch in his career, Neal managed to keep his spirits up by leaning all the more so into his faith and religious beliefs. In one interview in 2022, McDonough described a time in which he fell to his knees and asked God why he had seemingly forgotten about him. He was quite confused as he felt as if he had done everything that he was supposed to, but at the end of the day, he still felt like he was being punished in some kind of way.
Immediately after uttering those words, however, McDonough realized how self-absorbed those questions sounded. He later came to understand that he was still quite lucky to have achieved as much as he had and that everyone experiences challenges in their lives. After making this realization, Neal concluded that he was actually quite blessed.
In December 2022, Neal appeared alongside Broadway actress and singer Megan Hilty to celebrate the Holiday season by co-hosting the annual PBS program Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir. Around this time it was also revealed that he had agreed to join the cast of the Christian film Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist.
Also in late 2022, shortly before hosting Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir, McDonough announced that he and his wife were launching a new film production company that will;l produce content that is in line with their Catholic values.
McDonough and Robertson have expressed excitement over taking the reins of this new faith-based project and are eager to start producing content that they can be proud of both professionally and spiritually.
Since he and his wife are tackling this project on their own, they won’t have to worry about what others in Hollywood think or expect. He might have been blacklisted in the past for sticking to his beliefs, but now McDonough can pick and choose precisely what he wants to work on while not deviating from his principles. He and Robertson’s aim is to make films, television series, and reality shows that all give glory to God.
The McDonough Company has yet to be officially established, but the plans are actively in the works. As time goes on, we’ll likely learn more about the production company and what kinds of offerings they will be producing.
Some might scoff at Neal’s beliefs. They might even be tempted to declare his acting career over, but since over 2.2 billion people around the globe profess to be Christians, it’s clear that many will continue to support him in all of his future endeavors.
There continues to be a market for Christian films and television shows. For example, 2004s The Passion of the Christ raked in a staggering $370 million, while 2014s Heaven is for Real earned over $91 million worldwide.
On the small screen, Christian shows like The Chosen, Sons of Thunder, and Ties That Bind have performed better than anticipated and have likewise received high marks with critics.
Regardless of whether you’re a Christian or not, you have to applaud Neal McDonough for staying true to his beliefs and not compromising just to earn a buck. Despite some setbacks and controversies, McDonough has remained a respected and recognizable figure in the entertainment industry, known for his talent, dedication, and unwavering principles.
Before we wrap this video up, we’d like to toss the mic over to you to let your voice be heard. Did you know that Neal McDonough refuses to appear in love scenes, and because of this he’s become quite controversial in Hollywood? Let us know in the comments, and as always, thanks for watching!
