Neal McDonough was over the moon when he was cast in the iconic TV miniseries Band of Brothers back in 2001. With Steven Spielberg as an executive producer and Tom Hanks as one of the directors, Band of Brothers was going to be exceptional.
And the series was exceptional. Neal McDonough found worldwide fame with his character of Lynn D. (Buck) Compton throughout 8 episodes of the series. However, a terrible event was awaiting McDonough.
Neal McDonough Was Fired From A TV Show For An Absurd Reason!
While starring in the 2010 TV show titled Scoundrels, rumors began to fly that Neal McDonough had been fired from the show.
Taking part in any project, Neal McDonough had only one rule, he wouldn’t film any scenes that involved nudity, intimacy, or kissing since he wanted to be faithful to his wife.
During his speech, the actor revealed that “These lips are made for one woman,” and that he avoided any scenes that included certain kinds of emotions.
Soon after, the video was shared on the internet where McDonough was on stage talking about the reason he was actually fired from the TV show. The reason stands true that McDonough refused to film a s*x scene with an actress.
In an interview with CloserWeekly, the actor even revealed that after he was fired from Scoundrels, he was blacklisted by Hollywood as a religious zealot!
I was, and it was a horrible situation for me. After that, I couldn’t get a job because everybody thought I was this religious zealot. I am very religious. I put God and family first, and me second.
Well, things turned around for the actor when his religious stance got him fired from Scoundrels. Although the series was over after one season, McDonough had to face some consequences for his faithful actions.
Neal McDonough Refused To Kiss Anyone
As the reason behind McDonough’s firing spread on the internet, people shared a video where McDonough was seen standing on a stage. With a mic on the podium, the Band of Brothers actor began to speak.
Although the actor had a genuine reason for not wanting to kiss anyone, the firing of Neal McDonough was put up for debate by the people. From support to objections, the debate raged on. Amidst the debate, the video of McDonough talking about his firing was shared, and here’s what the actor had to say (via The Orange Catholic Foundation):
Many of you have probably heard about uh, I was fired from a TV show because I wouldn’t do a kissing s*x scene and I told him upfront ‘This is something I’m not comfortable doing and I just don’t want to do it’
He further continued,
So they fired me. I couldn’t get a job and because of that I lost my big beautiful house in Los Angeles. My shiny Mercedes, all my stuff, and my swagger. I was really crushed.
The actor, however, quickly got back on his feet and went on to star in iconic projects like Yellowstone, Flags of our Fathers, Arrow, and, Suits.
Neal McDonough was recently seen in the 2024 film Guns & Moses and is currently attached to 8 other upcoming projects including Sylvester Stallone’s Tulsa King.
Known for his portrayal in the Steven Spielberg series, McDonough can be seen in Band of Brothers which is available to stream on Max in the U.S.
