While the main film franchise of the DC universe is all set to have a fresh approach now with James Gunn’s DCU, the reboot will also lead to a new set of TV shows, putting aside the successful CW Arrowverse, as well as the standalone shows like Titans, Doom Patrol, and Swamp Thing, all of which will be concluding this year.
Actors of multiple DC iterations have crossed paths outside their universes. The Flash’s Grant Gustin and Supergirl Melissa Benoist both were part of the musical series Glee. Way before their appearances in DC property, actors Neal McDonough and Virginia Madsen starred together in the show Scoundrels. However, this ‘crossover’ of sorts was short-lived as McDonough was fired from the show after refusing to film a s*x scene with the Dune actress.
Which DC Series Were The Actors A Part Of?
Before their appearances on shows based on the DC universe, actors Neal McDonough and Virginia Madsen have had decades of experience. Madsen had her breakthrough role as Princess Irulan in David Lynch’s adaptation of Dune. She also starred in the sci-fi film Electric Dreams, had an acclaimed supporting role in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Rainmaker, and headlined the horror film Candyman.
Virginia Madsen also has a sprawling TV career, having made acclaimed appearances in shows such as Designated Survivor, Monk, Frasier, and Moonlighting. Madsen has been part of the DC universe in different capacities as she voiced Arella in the animated series Teen Titans as well as the villainess Roulette in Justice League Unlimited. She also voiced Queen Hippolyta in the animated film Wonder Woman. She was part of the main cast in the short-lived DC series Swamp Thing, where she played Maria Sunderland.
Actor Neal McDonough on the other hand has played plenty of supporting roles in films as well as TV shows. He has been featured in Minority Report, Flags of our Fathers, and Sonic the Hedgehog. He was also a DC alumni before his appearance in the Arrowverse with actor Stephen Amell as the supervillain Damien Darhk. He has voiced Deadshot in the animated film Batman: Assault on Arkham and voiced Green Arrow in the DC Showcase: Green Arrow short film.
McDonough has also starred in the MCU as Dum Dum Dogan, making his first appearance in Captain America: The First Avenger. He has also starred in TV shows such as Band of Brothers, Suits, and Desperate Housewives.
Why Was Neal McDonough Fired From Scoundrels?
An unexpected DC alumni crossover was in the making when actors Neal McDonough and Virginia Madsen were cast together in the TV drama Scoundrels. The show saw Madsen as a matriarch of the West family, who suddenly deals with the arrest of her husband and tries to reform the family. McDonough was initially cast to play her husband Wolfgang West.
However, the Arrow actor was reportedly replaced from the project three days into filming with David James, who featured in the rest of the season. While the makers allegedly stated that the reason was simply a casting change, Deadline reported that McDonough was sacked after he refused to film a s*x scene with Virginia Madsen.
McDonough’s refusal was apparently not related to Madsen in any way and was reported to be due to the actor’s religious beliefs. McDonough is a married man and a catholic and he has stated many times that he does not shoot intimate scenes due to his religious beliefs. In an interview with Christian Examiner (via Looper), he said,
“Killing people on-screen — that’s fake. When you’re in bed with another woman on-screen — guess what? That’s real. I don’t like that kind of stuff. Especially now with kids, I don’t want to have my kids say, ‘Hey, Dad, what are you doing with that lady on screen?'”
The DC actor reportedly missed out on a $1 million paycheque due to his commitment to his beliefs. However, this was not the first time he had refused to do an intimate scene as he had similar issues during his stints on Desperate Housewives, Boomtown, and Medical Investigation. Deadline reported that the actor had lost many jobs because of his ideals, including Scoundrels.
Source: Deadline, Christian Examiner (via Looper)
