It’s common for actors to pretend to kiss people they’re not actually in love with on screen. That’s because they’re acting out romantic scenes for the camera. But there’s one actor, Neal McDonough, who is different. He was willing to risk his career rather than kiss any woman other than his wife. Let’s find out why.
Before he found Ruvé.
Being the youngest of six kids, Neal always loved making his older brothers and sisters laugh. He mentioned, “I was the school’s prankster and the center of attention.” Even though he struggled with dyslexia and found math and reading hard, he had a real talent for making people giggle.
He finished high school and got his diploma. After that, he went to Syracuse University. While there, he joined a group called Sigma Chi and earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1988. He was given a big scholarship to play baseball in college but decided to pursue acting instead.
His very first movie, Darkman, was shown in 1990. After that, he did well in many TV shows and movies like Boomtown, Star Trek: First Contact, Minority Report, Walking Tall, and The Hitcher.
Also, people really liked his well-known role as the bad guy Damien Darhk in the TV show Arrow. In that show, he played a character with magical abilities, but it showed that deep down, he’s a good person in real life.
Before he met his wife, he was thinking about stopping his career in Hollywood, he shared. He planned to return to Cape Cod, work at his parents’ motel, and be part of a local theater. But then something changed when he got a call from Steven Spielberg. Spielberg wanted him to audition for a show called Band of Brothers, which changed everything.
Neal McDonough and his other half.
In the year 2000, while Neal was working on Band of Brothers, he and his future wife Ruvé crossed paths unexpectedly. He shares that he fell in love with Ruvé the first time he saw her. Furthermore, he mentions that they bumped into each other on St. Patrick’s Day while he was interviewed in 2004.
Likewise, he mentioned that when he first saw her, he unintentionally said, “You’re tall.” At that time, he was already dating someone else. But after meeting Ruvé, he called his then-girlfriend and said, “I’m sorry, but it’s not going to work out between us anymore. I just met the woman I’m going to marry.”
Ruvé and Neal tied the knot on December 1, 2003, which was 3 years after they first met. Their wedding was lovely, and their honeymoon was filled with joy. They traveled to places like Cape Cod, London, South Africa, Santa Barbara, and more for over seven weeks.
Even today, Neal continues to show his deep affection for his wife through his posts on Instagram. On their 13th wedding anniversary, he shared a heartfelt message describing Ruvé as his best friend, love, and life partner. He expressed his gratitude for having the best thing happen to a man.
The McDonoughs have reached 20 years of marriage and are still happily living with their 2 boys and 3 girls. Their first child was Morgan Patrick McDonough, and their second was Catherine Maggie McDonough. After a couple of years, their third child was born, a daughter named London Jane McDonough.
After that, they welcomed their daughter, Clover Elizabeth McDonough, and later, their youngest child, James Hamilton McDonough, joined the family. So now, their family of 7 lives happily together in Los Angeles.
He only wants to kiss his wife.
On his journey to becoming an actor, Neal McDonough clearly stated that his faith is his top priority. Throughout his 30-year career, he has never participated in intimate scenes. Even after being married for a long time and having five children, he still loves his wife more than anyone else. He once stated, “I won’t kiss any other woman because these lips are only for one woman.”
Certain individuals in Hollywood have been understanding and respectful of his beliefs. For instance, there was a time when he got a role on a show that contained a lot of content he couldn’t agree with. He recalled, “When Marc Cherry signed me, I told him, ’You probably already know this, but I won’t kiss anyone.’” He remembered explaining to the show’s creator that he was a Christian. “’But this is Desperate Housewives!’ Cherry said. I told him, ’I know.’ He waited for a few seconds and then responded, ’Okay, I’ll just have to write better.’”
McDonough shared that his decision to avoid “love scenes” had consequences. In 2010, he turned down a role on an ABC show because it involved intimate scenes with an actress, and he wanted to stay faithful to his wife. This choice supposedly cost him around $1 million, according to reports.
This turn of events was surprising and challenging for him. Following that incident, he struggled to find new opportunities because he stuck to his stance on not participating in such scenes. He mentioned, “I have a lot of faith.”
He felt confident that he had chosen correctly by trusting both himself and his wife, the woman he fell in love with from the moment he saw her. He said, “I’m the luckiest guy I know to have her as my partner in everything after five kids and a great life.”
While Neal encountered challenges, his career has since been remarkable. His face is recognizable, even if not everyone can recall his name.
Recently, the couple joyfully celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary. They reaffirmed their wedding promises to each other. Neil was dressed in a handsome suit, while Ruvé wore a wedding gown, just like she did many years ago. Sharing a photo of this moment on social media, the actor once again expressed that asking her to marry him was his most wonderful choice.
Neal McDonough stands out as one of the most kind-hearted fathers with multiple children in Hollywood. Like many of his peers, he discovered his serene happiness with an ordinary woman who, in his eyes, was more beautiful than any actress he had ever known. And when it comes to not kissing on-screen, this isn’t the most unusual challenge directors encounter.
Another actor who didn’t hesitate to leave a project to protect his relationship with his wife was Patrick