There are some things Neal McDonough simply won’t do, like kiss any woman other than his wife, even though it got the Christian actor fired. It hasn’t always made things easy for him in Hollywood, but McDonough always puts family and faith first. Making it in Hollywood is challenging enough, but McDonough knows firsthand that it’s even harder when you’re a Christian. It hasn’t always been easy, but he succeeded in staying true to himself.
When pursuing acting, McDonough made it clear that his faith comes first. Since the start of his 30-year career, he’s refused to do sex scenes. With 16 years of marriage under his belt, the father of five remains devoted to his wife, Ruve. He said, “I won’t kiss any other woman because these lips are meant for one woman.” Being a talented actor, some in Hollywood have been willing to honor his convictions, like when he landed a role on “Desperate Housewives.” McDonough recalled telling the show’s creator, “When Marc Cherry signed me, I said, ‘I’m sure you know, but I won’t kiss anybody.’ He was like, ‘But this is ‘Desperate Housewives!” I said, ‘I know.’ He paused for about five seconds and said, ‘All right, I’m just going to have to write better.’ And we had a great time.'”
Still, there have been times when McDonough’s stance has gotten him fired. He was set to star in ABC’s TV series “Scoundrels.” However, three days into filming, he was replaced for refusing to perform love scenes with co-star Virginia Madsen. He reportedly lost as much as $1 million by getting kicked off the show, but it also hurt his reputation in the industry. McDonough recalled, “It was a horrible situation for me. After that, I couldn’t get a job because everybody thought I was this religious zealot. 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.”
However, Neal and his family weathered the storm, choosing to rely on God’s faithfulness rather than this fickle world. He knew he’d made the right choice, honoring God and his wife of 16 years, Ruvé. He said, “Almost 20 years, five kids, and just one heck of an awesome life later, to have her as my partner in everything, I’m just the most blessed guy I know. That’s why I go to church every day and say ‘thank you’ to God for everything He’s given me. And most importantly, thank you for giving me Ruvé because, without her, I most certainly would not be talking with you right now.”
Things may have gotten tough for McDonough for a time, but his career has been “phenomenal ever since.” Not everyone knows his name, but plenty of people recognize his face.