Neal McDonough revealed that Hollywood blacklisted him after he refused to kiss other actors on screen. McDonough has been married to Ruvé Robertson since 2003 and shares five children with her.
The veteran character actor known for roles in Band of Brothers, Desperate Housewives, Minority Report, American Horror Story, Suits, and more, was speaking on the Nothing Left Unsaid podcast.
“I always included a no-kissing clause in my contracts,” McDonough said. “My wife didn’t mind-it was me who had a problem with it. When I stood my ground and they couldn’t accept it, Hollywood completely turned on me. They stopped offering me roles.”
McDonough recalled how the industry freeze impacted his life. “For two years, I couldn’t book a single job. I lost everything you can imagine – not just houses and material things, but my confidence, my sense of cool, my identity. Acting defined who I was, and once I lost that, I went into a tailspin.”
Fired from TV
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.”
McDonough’s Struggles
McDonough began his acting career in 1990 and recently starred in The Last Rodeo, a drama from Angel Studios. He played a former bull-riding world champion who returns to the arena to raise money for his grandson’s brain tumor surgery. The film hit theaters in late May and grossed $15 million on an $8 million budget.
While McDonough didn’t specify at what point in his career this affected him, he’s been cast in many films and TV shows over the years.
In recent years, McDonough has focused more on television. He played Malcolm Beck across six episodes of Yellowstone and appeared as Sergeant Ty O’Brien in seven episodes of 9-1-1: Lone Star. He also reunited with Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan for a series regular role in Season 2 of Tulsa King, starring alongside Sylvester Stallone.
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