Neal McDonough, recognized for his performances in Yellowstone, Suits, and Desperate Housewives, recently shared how his career nearly collapsed due to his refusal to perform onscreen kissing scenes—a personal conviction rooted in his faith and commitment to his family.
Speaking on the Nothing Left Unsaid podcast, the 59-year-old actor revealed that he has consistently maintained a no-kissing clause in his contracts throughout his career.
“It wasn’t my wife who had an issue with it—it was me,” McDonough explained. “I didn’t want to put her or our future kids through that. It just didn’t feel right for me.”
His decision, however, came at a steep cost.
“When I stood my ground, Hollywood just turned its back on me,” he said. “They didn’t want me on their sets anymore.”
While he didn’t specify the exact role that triggered the backlash, McDonough has previously stated he was dismissed from ABC’s Scoundrels in 2010 for refusing to participate in intimate scenes.
“It was devastating,” he told Closer Weekly at the time. “After that, I was labeled a religious fanatic. I am religious—I put God and family first, then myself—but it doesn’t mean I’m extreme. That label nearly ended my career.”
McDonough, who has been married to South African model Ruvé Robertson since 2003 and is a father of five, says the fallout impacted both his professional and personal life.
“I couldn’t get hired. I lost everything—my homes, my confidence, my identity,” he recalled. “Acting was who I was, and when that was taken from me, I went into a tailspin.”
He admitted the stress led to personal struggles, including an increase in drinking. “I never drank on the job—I respect the craft too much. But afterward, I just felt lost, like something inside me was off.”
His career rebounded when producer Graham Yost offered him a role as a villain in FX’s Justified—a turning point he describes as his comeback.
Since then, McDonough has returned to the spotlight with roles in Band of Brothers, Arrow, American Horror Story, Tulsa King, and most recently, Yellowstone.
In a heartfelt twist, McDonough recently broke his long-held rule for a special reason—sharing an onscreen kiss with his real-life wife in the film The Last Rodeo.
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