Actor Neal McDonough stars in the History Channel’s “Project Blue Book,” and acknowledged God and his family will always invariably come first in life.
It is not what you typically hear in Hollywood.
There’s more — “I won’t mention the Lord’s name in vain, and then I won’t kiss another woman,” he told Fox News. “Sex scenes aren’t in it for me. And I think, gosh, there’s enough sex scenes out there and me being in my fifties I’m not sure if anyone wants to see me doing that stuff anyway, but it’s a comfort level.”
The 53-year-old is so staunch in his convictions–he lost jobs along the way. For example, he declined to do sex scenes with actress Virginia Madsen in the ABC primetime series “Scoundrels.” He was fired and pretty much blacklisted in Hollywood after being labeled a religious zealot, as explained in the 2019 interview with Closer Weekly.
“I was surprised, and it was a horrible situation for me,” the devout Catholic said. “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,” the father of five admitted.
The “Minority Report” and “Band of Brothers” actor has found balance in his career without having to compromise, despite the pressures from Hollywood and scripts. Recently he’s starred in the hit series “Yellowstone” with Kevin Costner. “The audience really likes when I play these bad guys so I’m not going to disappoint them,” McDonough explained to TV Fanatic. “If you give me a dollar’s worth for my work, I’m going to give you two dollars’ worth of effort. That’s what my dad always taught me.”
McDonough appreciates playing the villain in roles, which allows him to avoid those romantic scenes. In speaking with Fox News, he added: “And I guess that’s probably why I play so many villainous characters, because I love acting, and I’m really good at it. It’s a God-given talent, so for me to have a career, I have to figure out creatively and smartly and wisely how I can keep doing what I do.”
Putting God first always pays off!
–Written by Corine Gatti-Santillo