Actor Neal McDonough Sacked for Refusing Sex Scene

Life Site News ^ | April 6, 2010 | Kathleen Gilbert

[NYer]

HOLLYWOOD, California, April 6, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Sticking to his principles as a Christian and a family man, Hollywood actor Neal McDonough has been fired from a spot in a television series because he refuses to perform explicit sex scenes.

ABC sacked McDonough only three days into filming, according to an industry source cited on Hollywood columnist Nikki Finke's blog, Deadline.com, for declining to perform the scenes with co-star Virginia Madsen on the network's new series "Scoundrels." ABC officially said the decision was a simple casting change.

McDonough, a Catholic who is married with three young children, also refused to act out passionate scenes with actress Nicolette Sheridan when he played the role of her husband in season 5 of the popular ABC series "Desperate Housewives." He reportedly turned down similar scenes in NBC's "Boomtown" as well.

"It has cost him jobs, but the man is sticking to his principles," the source told Deadline.com, which also reported the role may have been worth as much as $1 million.

Reportedly, a source from the "Scoundrel's" wrote on Finke's blog that, "It wasn't just 'heated love scenes' - he wouldn't do any kissing whatsoever."

McDonough was replaced for the "Scoundrels" role by actor David James Elliott.

In addition to television series, McDonough has acted in several movies, including Band of Brothers, Star Trek: First Contact, Minority Report and The Hitcher.

[Political Junkie Too]

Isn't she the actress that kept HBO from going bust in its early days of being "not broadcast TV?"

-PJ

[colorado tanker]

Princess Irulan, daughter of Shadaam the 1V, ruler of the known universe, and became the wife of Paul Muadib

[MamaTexan]

How ironic. I literally just finished watching him in Tin Man.

A great actor AND a principled one.

Bless you, Mr. McDonough, for standing up for what you believe!

[Tax-chick]

I don’t know. She’s married to Whatsisface, that played John Glenn in “The Right Stuff.”

[dools007]

I’m sorry, not sure what’s going on. Were the producers demanding that he have sex with the woman? Or is he objecting to a pornographic scene that was to be aired on television?

[HIDEK6]

I wouldn’t trade bodily fluids with her either.

[John-Irish]

He should sue the bastards. Sue the studios, the producers, sue them. What the f**k is the purpose of The Screen Actors Guild? Aren’t they supposed to be able to do something if an actor doesn’t want to debase themselves?

[John-Irish]

I’d hit it! Bigtime, with a Noreden Bombsight!

[truthguy]

"... for declining to perform the scenes with co-star Virginia Madsen ..."

I knew we would get some humorous comments on this one! The posters didn't disappoint. Virgina is getting up in years but I find her much hotter than most of the younger actresses. I know what most male posters are thinking and you know who you are!

[TheOldLady]

Yes! Hubby bought it because the previews looked really good, and we were pleased with our purchase. Zooey was wonderful, and we both like Neal.

[Tax-chick]

Zooey Deschanel looked extremely beautiful, through rather stuned much of the time (as who wouldn’t under the plot-circumstances), and I thought all the roles were well done.

[Salvation]

**McDonough, a Catholic who is married with three young children, also refused to act out passionate scenes with actress Nicolette Sheridan when he played the role of her husband in season 5 of the popular ABC series “Desperate Housewives.” He reportedly turned down similar scenes in NBC’s “Boomtown” as well.**

God bless him for holding to his values!

[netmilsmom]

>>also refused to act out passionate scenes with actress Nicolette Sheridan when he played the role of her husband in season 5 of the popular ABC series “Desperate Housewives.<<

But think about it, he didn’t have a problem with being on that trash show.

[Jolla]

That is probably a great way to meet chicks. Just a little post lent humor.

[MamaTexan]

He’s objecting to filming overtly pornographic scenes. As far as I know, he always has.

[Rocky]

May God bless him for his principled stand.

“And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.”
Ezek 22:30 (KJV)

[dools007]

That’s what I thought, but it wasn’t clear to me.

I’m a male and find the female form wonderful. But I am quite frankly uncomfortable with the explicitness of so-called main stream movie sex scenes. For one thing, I view sex as something very private between two loving people. Sharing that kind of intimacy in a theater full of other people—let alone kids—makes me squirm. For another, how much french kissing, nipple sucking and simulated intercourse must one endure before it represents just another mechanical act between human animals?

[SaltyJoe]

Some are making a big deal that Mr. McDonough will play violent malicious characters, but won't get naked for sweaty sex scenes. I remember hearing of another Hollywood actor who promised only to be evil if he ever played the bad guy. Interesting that he, too, was very devoted to his one and only wife.

James Cagney



from Wiki:
As he got older, he became more and more conservative, referring to himself in his autobiography as "arch-conservative". He regarded his move away from liberal politics as "a totally natural reaction once I began to see undisciplined elements in our country stimulating a breakdown of our system... Those functionless creatures, the hippies ... just didn't appear out of a vacuum."