'Yellowstone' actor Neal McDonough reflects on bonding with Kevin Costner, his devotion to faith: 'God first'
The former ‘Desperate Housewives’ star tells Fox News Digital about his friendship with Kevin Costner, his devotion to faith and how it was narrating the holiday special ‘O Holy Night: Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir.'
As Neal McDonough navigated Hollywood, there was one thing he refused to give up on — his faith in God.
In 2010, the former "Desperate Housewives" star claimed he was fired three days into filming the ABC series "Scoundrels" because he wouldn’t agree to on-screen sex scenes. While the show only ran for one season, the 56-year-old said he was blacklisted from the industry.
As McDonough struggled, he always felt that God had a better plan for him. After being faced with "a hard few years" trying to find work, he received a call from screenwriter Graham Yost who offered him to star in "Justified." Since then, McDonough has kept busy pursuing his love of acting.
Neal McDonough, a devout Catholic, starred on "Desperate Housewives," where he played Nicolette Sheridan’s husband. The actor had a no-kissing rule that prompted the show’s creator, Marc Cherry, to get creative with his writing. (Ron Tom/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
Over the years, McDonough has remained faithful to his deep devotion to God. He’s always eager to take on a project that celebrates family traditions. He’s now narrating "O Holy Night: Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir." The TV special has been the No. 1 primetime holiday program on PBS for 17 years since it first aired in 2004.
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"I think I was blessed at a very young age to have a strong relationship with God," McDonough told Fox News Digital. "And it’s been paramount in my life as everyone kind of knows. Look, we all make mistakes. We’re all flawed, we’re all human. And that’s kind of what makes us beautiful at the same time."
"And you know, especially in the films that [my wife] Ruvé and I have been doing and… producing in the last couple of years, they talk about these things," he shared. "[They] talk about what it's like to have your faith challenged or how you can overcome certain difficulties in life knowing that God has your back. And it's shows like 'Oh Holy Night' that kind of reinforce that family is the most important thing on the planet. There’s nothing like family."
Neal McDonough is a proud father of five. (Alberto Rodriguez/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images)
The father of five’s career has only flourished since "Justified." However, when he was offered to participate in the upcoming holiday special, it was a no-brainer for him.
"There are a few times when I get to talk about things that are really, really important to me in my life, and that’s my relationship with God and family," McDonough explained. "… For me, it’s family first, me second. God first, me second. And when you’re run by those rules, things are a lot easier. You’re not as tempted to do stupid things… We all make mistakes every single day. But it’s how we get up the next day and kind of dust it off that dictates what kind of person you are. In our house, our relationship with God is incredibly important."
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"… We get caught up in so many things, especially during the holiday season… it can be a very emotional time," he reflected. "But when you have a core to lean back on, whether it’s immediate family or our heavenly father, that’s how you get through things in life. And for me, it’s vitally important… it’s about family and it’s about love."
Neal McDonough said he and his "Yellowstone" co-star Kevin Costner bonded over their love of family on set. (Richard Bord/Getty Images for Cannes Lions)
Most recently, McDonough appeared in the hit Western drama "Yellowstone" opposite Kevin Costner. However, it wasn’t the first time that McDonough worked closely with the fellow actor. He and the 67-year-old appeared in the 2006 film "The Guardian."
"We were both college baseball players, [so] during lunch we would take batting practice and hit balls and talk about life," said McDonough. "I really got to know Kevin pretty well during that film. And then when I got ‘Yellowstone,’ it was just really great to see him again."
According to McDonough, the pair bonded on "Yellowstone" over their families. The Oscar winner is a proud dad of seven children.
Neal McDonough married former South African model Ruvé Robertson in 2003. (Araya Doheny/FilmMagic)
"We’re very similar in so many ways," said McDonough. "Like I’ve said to so many people, when you talk about the pound-for-pound champ screen of all time, you gotta put Kevin Costner on top. I’ve been saying this forever, he’s one of those actors [who] really listens to what’s going on with the other actors and in the scene. He does his homework. He knows everyone’s lines, not just his. And he’s so prepared that he’s always there to win. And I just love that mentality. Kevin Costner is one of the greatest in our profession, of all time. But more importantly, he’s just a great family guy and a great dad. He prides himself on that."
In "Yellowstone," McDonough played Malcolm Beck, the shady businessman who becomes mortally wounded in a standoff against John Dutton [Costner]. However, McDonough teased that his time in the series may not be completely over. He previously pointed out that we never really saw the villain’s eyes close when he died.
"Malcolm Beck is certainly not dead," McDonough declared. "There have been lots of discussions about how you could ever bring Malcolm back if we did. And you know… I don’t really watch any of the stuff that I do because it’s always just kind of strange for me. The reason I don’t want to watch Malcolm Beck is that I think he would just scare the heck out of me if I watched him on screen. I can’t imagine what Malcolm Beck would be like after he comes back… and [gets] revenge against the whole Dutton family. I just think it would be fantastic television, but we’ll see."
Neal McDonough teased that his "Yellowstone" character Malcolm Beck did not die after all. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Comedy Central, Paramount Network and TV Land)
McDonough said there’s one person who could make that Christmas wish come true — "Yellowstone" creator Taylor Sheridan.
"Taylor’s a mighty busy guy right now," he said. "And you know, [my wife] and I are so busy doing our films that I’m not sure we’ll ever have the time to… get it done. But I certainly would love to do that for sure — get back in the saddle one more time against Kevin."
"O Holy Night: Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir will be available for streaming on Dec. 18 via the BYUtv App and BYUtv.org.
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