Neal McDonough Details How He Lost Everything At Some Point Of His Career

Hollywood Actor Neal McDonough, known for his work in Suits and Yellowstone, has shared snapshots of a rocky era in his acting career featuring personal beliefs, career backlash, and a triumphant comeback. Now, in a recent interview on the Nothing Left Unsaid podcast, McDonough shared more about the brief halt in his career, which was caused by his refusal to kiss any actress other than his real-life spouse, Ruvé McDonough.

The actor, who has maintained this stance since marrying Ruvé in 2003, revealed that it's not his wife who has regulated his behavior, but rather an act of his own that he decided to stand by. "I'd always had in my contracts I wouldn't kiss another woman onscreen. When I couldn't do it, and they couldn't understand it, they wouldn't let me be part of the show anymore." That moral position created a backlash in the industry that cost him more than just gigs. "For two years, I couldn't get a job and I lost everything you could possibly imagine," he said.

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If the financial cost wasn't bad enough, the aftermath could also exact a heavy emotional and psychological toll. "Not just houses and material things, but your swagger, your cool, who you are, your identity, everything," he said. "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," Neal recalled. McDonough's story offers a rare window into how thinking for himself in an industry like Hollywood often clashes with industry standards. When he chose his marriage and faith rather than his career ambitions, it may have temporarily cost him work, but it never broke him.

Today, at 59, McDonough is working his way back onto the marquee. In the recent movie The Last Rodeo, he solved the issue by casting his real-life wife, Ruvé, to play his onscreen wife. The clever stratagem not only allowed him to maintain his values but also served as a potent reminder that integrity and artistry can coexist in the entertainment industry. McDonough's experience is a poignant reminder in a business predicated on image, courageously being yourself might just be your most important performance yet.