(UnitedVoice.com) – An actor says Hollywood blacklisted him for two years because he’s a practicing Christian. The dispute goes back to a script that called for him to film a love scene — one that was intimate enough that he didn’t think it was fair to his wife. Now, he’s built a new career on faith-based projects, but he’s warning about the Hollywood culture.
Neal McDonough made his name as an actor in HBO’s “Band of Brothers,” where he played Lieutenant Buck Compton. He went on to appear in a string of other popular shows and movies, including “Desperate Housewives” and “Star Trek: First Contact.” And then the acting jobs suddenly dried up. Now, McDonough is revealing why.
On November 28, a year-old video emerged in which McDonough discusses the incident that, he says, led to a two-year hiatus in his career. He says that while filming a project — which he didn’t name, but was probably the ABC show “Scoundrels” — he was asked to shoot a love scene with an actress, but refused. According to the 57-year-old actor, he was told if he didn’t do the scene, he’d be fired. He didn’t do the scene. They fired him.
After that, says McDonough, he was labeled as “some religious zealot” and couldn’t get any more work for two years. He’s unrepentant, though. In the video, he says, “I’ll say it a million time, these lips are meant for one woman.”
Since then, McDonough has managed to rebuild his career. As well as landing roles in “Yellowstone” and “American Horror Story: Double Feature,” he’s also found a niche in religiously-themed shows. Last holiday season, he appeared in “Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir,” and this January, he played villain Jonathan Stonagal in the post-Rapture thriller “Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist.” He’s also starred in two faith-based movies he produced himself. He’s back on track as an actor, but along the way, he’s paid a heavy price for his faith.
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