Latest news with #Scoundrels
Economic Times
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
'Yellowstone' actor says Hollywood turned on him for refusing to kiss co-stars, says 'Don't want to put my kids...'
McDonough, who was cast as Wolfgang West opposite Virginia Madsen and Patrick Flueger, was reportedly fired three days into production on "Scoundrels." Neal McDonough, who starred in 'Yellowstone' and Suits' has revealed he was shut out of Hollywood for refusing to kiss anyone other than his wife, Ruvé McDonough, for his projects. McDonough opened up about how Hollywood shut him out after he refused to film kissing scenes on an episode of Tim Green's 'Nothing Left Unsaid' podcast, released Wednesday."I always had in my contracts that I wouldn't kiss another woman on screen," McDonough said. "My wife didn't have any problem with it. It was me, really, who had a problem. I was like, 'Yeah, I don't want to put you through it. I know we're going to start having kids, and I don't want to put my kids through it."Instead, the actor said that he decided to pursue a career as a frequent villain so that he was able to accept roles that didn't require romantic moments. Despite his plan, Neal said that the rule ultimately "got him blacklisted" and left Hollywood confused about what to do with him. ALSO READ: $1,390 stimulus checks from IRS coming soon: Are you on the list? Check key date, eligibility and more Neal McDonough opened up about his rocky experience in the entertainment industry due to his longstanding refusal to perform intimate scenes with his female costars. "Sometimes you need to be crucified in life to realize what life is really about," said McDonough, who is a devout Catholic. "It's about family. It's about God. It's about what you can do to make the world a better place while you're here for that finite amount of time." "A lot of people say, 'Well, you kill thousands of people in all of your movies, sometimes millions, and you won't kiss another woman onscreen?' I'm like, 'Yeah, but you're not really killing anybody,'" he said. "And it's kind of funny on the day when we're doing it. But intimacy is a whole different thing for me." McDonough — a veteran character actor known for his roles in Yellowstone, Band of Brothers, Arrow, Suits, Desperate Housewives, and more — said it wasn't long before he ran into trouble over his 'no kissing' rule. "When I wouldn't do it, and they couldn't understand it, Hollywood just completely turned on me," he said. "They wouldn't let me be part of the show anymore. And for two years, I couldn't get a job, and I lost everything you could possibly imagine. Not just houses and material things, but your swagger, your cool, who you are, your identity, everything." ALSO READ: Will US students be forced to run a mile, do pull-ups and sit-ups? Trump's next move drops big hint Adding that he was in "a big, ugly tailspin for a couple of years," McDonough said it wasn't just an issue of him struggling to find jobs. He claims that, at one point, he was fired from a TV show after declining to shoot an intimate scene."They came to my trailer and the wardrobe lady says, 'Excuse me, would you like to be wearing a sock for the scene?'" McDonough recalled. "I remember, I said, 'I'm from Cape Cod and I don't wear socks. I've never worn socks. I'm a loafer and no socks guy.' She's like, 'What?' And she closed the door and she walks away."The actor said a producer arrived a few minutes later to clarify that they needed him to wear a modesty sock for a simulated sex scene. McDonough immediately pushed back, leading to an ultimatum: "They said, 'Well, unless you do it, we're gonna have to replace you,'" he recalled. "I'm like, 'Well, then replace me because I'm not gonna do it.' And they fired me." ALSO READ: PayPal and Venmo down in US? Thousands of users report payment failures and login issues He continued, "I remember flying home from Albuquerque and flying over the desert in New Mexico and realizing, 'Okay, I just got fired from a TV show. I'd have a better chance of surviving in that desert than surviving when I land in Hollywood.' And I was right."According to McDonough, the fallout included a rough patch in his career in addition to "a very painful, costly ordeal" caused by the show suing the actor maintains that he would do it all again. "I knew I did the right thing for my marriage," he said in the interview. "I knew I did the right thing for [God]. And I knew I did the right thing for me."McDonough, who was cast as Wolfgang West opposite Virginia Madsen and Patrick Flueger, was reportedly fired three days into production on "Scoundrels." He was later replaced by "JAG" alum David James Elliott. ALSO READ: Social Security eyes massive reform in US: New policy could hit 3.4 million Americans this month He was dropped from the short-lived ABC series Scoundrels in 2010 for refusing to film intimate scenes, claiming, "Everybody thought I was this religious zealot." He added that getting a call from his Band of Brothers producer Graham Yost about a role in Justified marked his recently came full circle with his latest project, The Last Rodeo — a film he wrote, directed, and stars in. Centered on a former bull rider staging a comeback, the role required several onscreen kisses. To keep things simple (and close to home), McDonough cast his real-life wife as his love interest."Well, my wife is really hot. She is a good-looking woman, and everything else can pale as compared to my wife, Ruvé," he joked, before explaining, "It was financed. It was ready to go and I said, 'I am not doing the movie unless you play my wife. Because I am not going to kiss some other woman on screen.' And she's like, 'Well, I am not an actor.' I'm like, 'Well, you are now. So let's go.'"
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Neal McDonough recalls Hollywood backlash after refusing to kiss his costars onscreen
When it comes to his relationship with Hollywood, Neal McDonough is all for kissing and telling. During a July 30 interview on the "Nothing Left Unsaid" podcast, McDonough, known for his roles on series such as "Band of Brothers," "Boomtown" and "Desperate Housewives," opened up about his rocky experience in the entertainment industry due to his longstanding refusal to perform intimate scenes with his female costars. "Sometimes you need to be crucified in life to realize what life is really about," said McDonough, who is a devout Catholic. "It's about family. It's about God. It's about what you can do to make the world a better place while you're here for that finite amount of time." In a January 2019 interview with Closer Weekly, McDonough claimed he was fired from the ABC dramedy "Scoundrels" for refusing to kiss his costar and perform sex scenes. "I won't kiss any other woman because these lips are meant for one woman," said McDonough, who has been married to wife Ruvé since 2003. Star-studded smooching: Justin and Hailey Bieber brush off split rumors with passionate kiss pic McDonough, who was cast as Wolfgang West opposite Virginia Madsen and Patrick Flueger, was reportedly fired three days into production on "Scoundrels." He was later replaced by "JAG" alum David James Elliott. "I'd always had in my contracts that I wouldn't kiss another woman onscreen," McDonough said on "Nothing Left Unsaid." "My wife didn't have any problem with it. It was me, really, who had a problem with it. ... When I couldn't do it, and they couldn't understand it, Hollywood just completely turned on me. They wouldn't let me be part of the show anymore." From 2010 to 2011, McDonough had a low profile in film and TV, largely appearing in voiceover roles and minor performances in "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" and "Captain America: The First Avenger," according to the actor's IMDb page. In early 2012, McDonough made a showbiz comeback with a recurring role on the neo-Western series "Justified." "For two years, I couldn't get a job, and I lost everything you could possibly imagine," McDonough said. "Not just houses and material things, but your swagger, your cool, who you are, your identity — everything. My identity was an actor, and a really good one. And once you don't have that identity, you're kind of lost in a tailspin." 'Are you two an item?' Pamela Anderson, Liam Neeson dodge dating rumors on 'Today' show Neal McDonough reveals the role that made him break his no-kissing rule Although McDonough struggled professionally and personally after the alleged firing, including a bout with alcoholism, "The Last Rodeo" star said he doesn't regret taking a moral stance in his career. He credited his spouse Ruvé and his renewed faith with helping him overcome the ordeal. "When I stopped drinking, everything just kind of changed. Literally, the clouds parted," McDonough said. "I was like, 'Oh, I don't need this crutch. Oh, people are calling me. Oh, I am successful. Oh, I do like myself again. OK, I am God's child, and I have a job to do. Stop wallowing in self-pity. Dust yourself off and go hit it hard." He added: "At 59 years old, I'm more busy than I've ever been in my whole because I have this clarity, I have a goal and I have a vision. I have one boss, and it's God, and I'm going to do whatever it takes to make my boss happy." McDonough has also found a healthy middle ground for navigating intimate scenes onscreen. The actor, who plays retired rodeo star Joe Wainwright in "The Last Rodeo," said he convinced his wife — who is not an actress — to play his love interest in the film. "She was so great in the movie, and to kiss my wife, my real-life wife, in a movie that I wrote and produced and gave glory to (God) in," McDonough said. "I can't imagine anything really better than that in my life when it comes to my career because it's finally one of those things where I made it, and I did it our way." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Neal McDonough talks Hollywood backlash after refusing to kiss costars
USA Today
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Neal McDonough recalls Hollywood backlash after refusing to kiss his costars onscreen
When it comes to his relationship with Hollywood, Neal McDonough is all for kissing and telling. During a July 30 interview on the "Nothing Left Unsaid" podcast, McDonough, known for his roles on series such as "Band of Brothers," "Boomtown" and "Desperate Housewives," opened up about his rocky experience in the entertainment industry due to his longstanding refusal to perform intimate scenes with his female costars. "Sometimes you need to be crucified in life to realize what life is really about," said McDonough, who is a devout Catholic. "It's about family. It's about God. It's about what you can do to make the world a better place while you're here for that finite amount of time." In a January 2019 interview with Closer Weekly, McDonough claimed he was fired from the ABC dramedy "Scoundrels" for refusing to kiss his costar and perform sex scenes. "I won't kiss any other woman because these lips are meant for one woman," said McDonough, who has been married to wife Ruvé since 2003. Star-studded smooching: Justin and Hailey Bieber brush off split rumors with passionate kiss pic McDonough, who was cast as Wolfgang West opposite Virginia Madsen and Patrick Flueger, was reportedly fired three days into production on "Scoundrels." He was later replaced by "JAG" alum David James Elliott. "I'd always had in my contracts that I wouldn't kiss another woman onscreen," McDonough said on "Nothing Left Unsaid." "My wife didn't have any problem with it. It was me, really, who had a problem with it. ... When I couldn't do it, and they couldn't understand it, Hollywood just completely turned on me. They wouldn't let me be part of the show anymore." From 2010 to 2011, McDonough had a low profile in film and TV, largely appearing in voiceover roles and minor performances in "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" and "Captain America: The First Avenger," according to the actor's IMDb page. In early 2012, McDonough made a showbiz comeback with a recurring role on the neo-Western series "Justified." "For two years, I couldn't get a job, and I lost everything you could possibly imagine," McDonough said. "Not just houses and material things, but your swagger, your cool, who you are, your identity — everything. My identity was an actor, and a really good one. And once you don't have that identity, you're kind of lost in a tailspin." 'Are you two an item?' Pamela Anderson, Liam Neeson dodge dating rumors on 'Today' show Neal McDonough reveals the role that made him break his no-kissing rule Although McDonough struggled professionally and personally after the firing, including a bout with alcoholism, "The Last Rodeo" star said he doesn't regret taking a moral stance in his career. He credited his spouse Ruvé and his renewed faith with helping him overcome the ordeal. "When I stopped drinking, everything just kind of changed. Literally, the clouds parted," McDonough said. "I was like, 'Oh, I don't need this crutch. Oh, people are calling me. Oh, I am successful. Oh, I do like myself again. OK, I am God's child, and I have a job to do. Stop wallowing in self-pity. Dust yourself off and go hit it hard." He added: "At 59 years old, I'm more busy than I've ever been in my whole because I have this clarity, I have a goal and I have a vision. I have one boss, and it's God, and I'm going to do whatever it takes to make my boss happy." McDonough has also found a healthy middle ground for navigating intimate scenes onscreen. The actor, who plays retired rodeo star Joe Wainwright in "The Last Rodeo," said he convinced his wife — who is not an actress — to play his love interest in the film. "She was so great in the movie, and to kiss my wife, my real-life wife, in a movie that I wrote and produced and gave glory to (God) in," McDonough said. "I can't imagine anything really better than that in my life when it comes to my career because it's finally one of those things where I made it, and I did it our way."
Express Tribune
30-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Yellowstone star Neal McDonough recalls career fallout and why Hollywood 'turned on him'
Actor Neal McDonough recently opened up about a difficult period in his career, revealing that he was effectively blacklisted from Hollywood for refusing to kiss anyone other than his wife onscreen. In a preview of the Nothing Left Unsaid podcast, shared, McDonough described how this personal boundary caused significant professional backlash. 'I'd always had in my contracts I wouldn't kiss another woman onscreen,' McDonough explained, adding that while his wife, Ruvé McDonough, supported the choice, industry decision-makers did not. 'When I couldn't do it, and they couldn't understand it, Hollywood just completely turned on me.' According to the Yellowstone and Suits actor, the fallout led to a two-year stretch without work. 'I lost everything you could possibly imagine—not just houses and material things, but your swagger, your cool, your identity,' he said. The absence of acting roles pushed him into what he described as a "tailspin," even leading to struggles with alcohol before regaining his footing with his family's support. McDonough has previously spoken about this issue, notably telling Closer Weekly in 2019 that he was fired from the ABC series Scoundrels in 2010 for refusing to film intimate scenes. 'Everybody thought I was this religious zealot,' he said at the time. 'I put God and family first, and me second.' His comeback began when Band of Brothers producer Graham Yost cast him in Justified. More recently, McDonough starred in The Last Rodeo, released in May 2025, where he worked around his onscreen intimacy rule by casting his real-life wife as his character's spouse. The full interview, covering his career struggles and reflections on typecasting, is set to air on Nothing Left Unsaid this week.
