Actor Neal McDonough believes his morals prevented him from obtaining certain Hollywood jobs.
“‘What time is the bar open?’ That was generally my thought process back then,” McDonough, 60, shared in a Fox News Digital interview published on Tuesday, May 26. “It was, you know, fired from a show because I wouldn’t kiss a woman. No one would hire me because they thought I was this religious nut bag, which is that I love my wife so much. And no one can understand it, no one could understand it.”
Neal — who has been married to his wife, Ruvé McDonough, since 2003 — recalled a time in his career when he started to drink because he wasn’t finding success in the acting world.
“I was always a drinker. I’m Irish. I’m from Boston. It’s what we do,” he said, before acknowledging that his drinking eventually “became a bad problem.”
“I lost the house, lost the cars, lost everything,” he added.
Neal will never forget the kindness he received from the late actor Luke Perry, who allowed the McDonough family to live in his home as they worked to regain their financial footing.
Neal McDonough and Ruve McDonough Courtesy of Neal McDonough/Instagram
“Justified was just coming out, but I still didn’t think I was worth anything because I failed to my family. I failed, [my wife] Ruve, my five kids, that I lost our house,” Neal said. “I lost all the beautiful things that were the shiny widgets that I had accumulated, were all taken away from me. And that crucifixion caused me so much inner pain because I made it all about me. How could I let the team down?”
After some tough love from his wife, Neal decided to serve God instead of himself. After he decided to quit drinking, he said he became a better husband, father and coworker.
In addition to starring in the upcoming Jimmy Stewart biopic titled Jimmy, set to be released on November 6, Neal remains devoted to his wife.
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“Happy birthday to the greatest thing I’ve ever met,” he wrote via Instagram in July 2025. “The person that not only changed my life immeasurably, but changed the lives for our five children that we share! The blessing that you are to all of us is something that I cannot explain in words! I love you to the moon and back times infinity my love!”
As for his rule not to kiss other women for other projects, Neal doesn’t appear to regret his mindset.
“I am very religious. I put God and family first, and me second,” he told Closer Weekly in January 2019. “That’s what I live by. It was hard for a few years.”
