Neal McDonought says no to sex

[Chris Blount]

Gotta admire this guy..

Neal McDonough is a marvelous actor who elevates every role he plays, whether it's in Band of Brothers or Desperate Housewives. So when he was suddenly replaced with David James Elliott 3 days into the filming on ABC's new series Scoundrels earlier this week, there had to be a story behind the story. The move was officially explained as a casting change. But, in fact, McDonough was sacked because of his refusal to do some heated love scenes with babelicious star (and Botox pitchwoman) Virginia Madsen.

More:
http://www.deadline.com/2010/03/no-sex-please-im-neal-mcdonough/

[spartanstew]

If he doesn't want to ACT, why did he get into acting?

[hdtvfan0001]

Refusing to do this with Virginia Madsen?

Is he nuts? :D

[trainman]

What did he think was going to happen on a drama called "Scoundrels"?

Perhaps he should stick to roles such as the dopey dad on Disney Channel or Nickelodeon sitcoms.

[Stewart Vernon]

I would be in support of him... but it seems weird that he takes a stand against acting in sex scenes, but is apparently ok with violent scenes... I would think if you make the decision according to morals and religious belief, that you wouldn't want to do violence either.

Flipping that around... I think if I were an actor, sex scenes with someone not your significant other would be awkward and I don't think I'd want to do that... but it wouldn't be for religious reasons.

[ndole]

When you're acting and you pretend to kill somebody, nothing has really happened. But when you're acting in a love/sex scene, there is actually a lot of real physical interaction. It isn't correct to criticize him under that comparison.

[Chris Blount]

There is a difference between depicting violence and sex. Violence can be totally faked. Sex can be faked but it still involves heavy touching and kissing.

[hdtvfan0001]

Volunteers?

Show of Hands?

:D:lol:

[spartanstew]

There is a difference between depicting violence and sex. Violence can be totally faked. Sex can be faked but it still involves heavy touching and kissing.

It's still acting. Is he worried he will fall in love with his costar? Is he worried he won't be able to control himself?

I can understand if he was a recovering sex addict, not wanting to be put into that situation, but otherwise it doesn't fly for me.

As an actor, he's supposed to be able to do various things without them becoming real. He's supposed to be able to ACT like he's having sex without really having sex.

It's fairly simple.

Did he think when he got into acting that there wouldn't be kissing? touching? I can't think of a single movie that doesn't have those.

[Chris Blount]

It's still acting. Is he worried he will fall in love with his costar? Is he worried he won't be able to control himself?

I can understand if he was a recovering sex addict, not wanting to be put into that situation, but otherwise it doesn't fly for me.

As an actor, he's supposed to be able to do various things without them becoming real. He's supposed to be able to ACT like he's having sex without really having sex.

It's fairly simple.

Did he think when he got into acting that there wouldn't be kissing? touching? I can't think of a single movie that doesn't have those.It doesn't matter if it's acting or not. From a religious stand point, its a no-no.

Personally with me the argument that it's "just acting" doesn fly. I can act like being a total a-hole but it doesn't mean I would want to do it.

[hdtvfan0001]

I can respect his views...but honestly....he likely went into the wrong profession...as this is so commonplace these days...his choice for "work" will be highly limited.

[spartanstew]

I can act like being a total a-hole but it doesn't mean I would want to do it.

Even if that was your job? The job you wanted to do? Nobody was holding a gun to his head to be an actor.


In this instance, religion is just some type of cop out. Maybe he's embarrassed to get a woody. I don't know. But it's not religion. Religion doesn't frown upon acting. It would also be different if he said he didn't want to do scenes that were against his religion (rape, incest, adultery, etc.), but that's not it either. He doesn't want to do any sex scenes, even if the people being depicted are married. The bible frowns upon sex between a man and wife now? Hogwash. I don't buy his arguments and have less respect for him than I did.

[Chris Blount]

Even if that was your job? The job you wanted to do? Nobody was holding a gun to his head to be an actor.
Depicting sex as an actor is only one small part of his job. He can refrain from doing it but still work (though it would limit some of his opportunities).

[hdtvfan0001]

I know of a good stunt double.

[Stewart Vernon]

I wasn't criticizing him for wanting to opt-out of sex roles... I was just questioning his reasoning.

For full disclosure...

I've often thought that IF I were an actor, I wouldn't want to do romantic roles with a woman that I was not partnered with somehow in real life (married, dating, etc.).

IF I'm single, I wouldn't want to be faking a relationship on screen... and if I was involved with someone else, it would feel wrong to me play-acting with someone not my real-life girlfriend/wife.

So I can 100% understand why he might not want to do the sex scenes.

All I'm curious about is how religious belief would be the reason why not to act in a sex scene but acting a violent scene would be ok. Seems to me religion would either recognize acting or not... and if acting was recognized, then acting wouldn't count as actually wantonly sinning.

That's all I was saying. I applaud him for taking that stand and I'd be with him there... I just wondered about the religious reasoning as explanation.

[paulman182]

Maybe I'm just rationalizing, but I tend to think God knows if it is real or not.

[Sharkie_Fan]

In this instance, religion is just some type of cop out. Maybe he's embarrassed to get a woody. I don't know. But it's not religion. Religion doesn't frown upon acting. It would also be different if he said he didn't want to do scenes that were against his religion (rape, incest, adultery, etc.), but that's not it either. He doesn't want to do any sex scenes, even if the people being depicted are married. The bible frowns upon sex between a man and wife now? Hogwash. I don't buy his arguments and have less respect for him than I did.



That's all I was saying. I applaud him for taking that stand and I'd be with him there... I just wondered about the religious reasoning as explanation.

I believe I read somewhere that he felt it was a violation of his wedding vows to have that sort of physical contact with someone other than his wife - acting or not.

I've seen it said that it's because he's "Catholic and a family man", but I think it's the latter more than the former. It's not that the church is telling him he can't act, but that he feels being in those sort of scenes would be a betrayal to his family and he doesn't want to be in that position.

If I get a chance I'll try to track down that interview.

This whole situation is odd, though. It's well known throughout hollywood (as I understand it) that Neil McDonough won't do sex scenes. So why did they hire him for a job that requires sex scenes? I believe the producer was an executive at ABC of some sort before getting into producing, so she should have known from McDonough's time on Desperate Housewives about his convictions.

The only problem I might have with this is that I read a claim that McDonough knew from the start that there were sex scenes involving his character. That he'd seen the script, with the scenes in there, and still took the job. If that's the case, his "stand" loses a little bit for me. To take a job knowing full well you won't do it is a bit dishonest. The glass-half-empty cynic in me wonders if he took the job just so he'd be in the position to "take a stand" and get the publicity....

[BubblePuppy]

If he is living true to his beliefs than who are we to judge his decisions?

[trainman]

I've seen it said that it's because he's "Catholic and a family man", but I think it's the latter more than the former. It's not that the church is telling him he can't act, but that he feels being in those sort of scenes would be a betrayal to his family and he doesn't want to be in that position.

There are plenty of actors who are "family men" (and actresses who are "family women") who do love scenes with people other than their spouses. I wonder how they feel about his implication that they're betraying their families/breaking their marriage vows.

One person who comes to mind is Stephen Colbert, who is a devout Catholic and a family man in his private life (he has a wife and 3 kids). I can't remember if he's had any "normal" love scenes in the past -- he's a comedian, after all -- but he's had love scenes with a gun on "The Colbert Report," and has done quite a bit of work that might not be considered "family-friendly," such as being photographed (http://www.jerriblank.com/wigfield.html#thea) in drag (http://www.jerriblank.com/wigfield.html#raven) for a book.

[TomH]

There are plenty of actors who are "family men" (and actresses who are "family women") who do love scenes with people other than their spouses. I wonder how they feel about his implication that they're betraying their families/breaking their marriage vows.

One person who comes to mind is Stephen Colbert, who is a devout Catholic and a family man in his private life (he has a wife and 3 kids). I can't remember if he's had any "normal" love scenes in the past -- he's a comedian, after all -- but he's had love scenes with a gun on "The Colbert Report," and has done quite a bit of work that might not be considered "family-friendly," such as being photographed (http://www.jerriblank.com/wigfield.html#thea) in drag (http://www.jerriblank.com/wigfield.html#raven) for a book.

Colbert and McDonought are two different people. Why would you assume they have the same personal convictions just because they're both Catholic and family men.

It sounds like he must have tought he could do it when he read the script but decided he couldn't when it came down to it and stuck with his convictions. Good for him. I think more people should do that rather than give into presure. It's his desicion and it just means less opportunities. He's a great actor so I don't think that'll affect him at all. There are lots of roles that don't require sex scenes.

[Sharkie_Fan]

There are plenty of actors who are "family men" (and actresses who are "family women") who do love scenes with people other than their spouses. I wonder how they feel about his implication that they're betraying their families/breaking their marriage vows.


I've never seen any quote attributed to Neal McDonough that says no married person should ever be in a love scene.

The only quote I've seen from him said that he felt that his being in such scenes would be a betrayal of his marriage vows.

Just because he has a belief doesn't mean he's projecting that belief on everyone else and making implication about what it means to them. It's a personal conviction, his own personal view of those scenes, and I've never seen him belittle or condemn any other actor for agreeing to participate in those scenes.

It would be a different story if he'd said that "sex scenes are wrong. They are a betrayal of actor's personal lives & families, and I will not participate in them".

[Stewart Vernon]

Here's a twist that I'd be interested to know.

IF he feels participating in such scenes are a violation of his marriage vows even though he would be acting... I wonder how he feels about watching other people and knowing they are not behaving as he would.

I ask because of an interesting situation that I see come up with people sometimes around here regarding treating Sunday as a day of rest.

I know people who will not work on Sunday because they believe it to be a day of rest... but these people will go shopping and eat at restaurants, which only work by having other people work on Sunday to serve them while they are resting.

My thought has always been if I believed so strongly that Sunday should be a day of rest... I would also not do things that require other people to work while I am resting.

Just a thought.

[SPACEMAKER]

I don't admire him for this one bit. I also won't admonish him for making this choice. It's his choice. I am just not sure why anyone should even care. Is the OP trying to make some sort of statement about his own beliefs by starting this thread?

[SPACEMAKER]

Here's a twist that I'd be interested to know.

IF he feels participating in such scenes are a violation of his marriage vows even though he would be acting... I wonder how he feels about watching other people and knowing they are not behaving as he would.

I ask because of an interesting situation that I see come up with people sometimes around here regarding treating Sunday as a day of rest.

I know people who will not work on Sunday because they believe it to be a day of rest... but these people will go shopping and eat at restaurants, which only work by having other people work on Sunday to serve them while they are resting.

My thought has always been if I believed so strongly that Sunday should be a day of rest... I would also not do things that require other people to work while I am resting.

Just a thought.

What you are describing is nothing more than the usual hypocrisy so prevalent among the various flocks.