People say that popularity changes people, but Neal McDonough is one celebrity who hasn’t lost touch with who they really are. He loves his family more than anything else, and even though he’s a big star, he never misses a chance to spoil his kids or make his wife feel loved.
We were impressed by Neal’s ability to balance his family and work-life, so we conducted an investigation so you could learn more about this couple’s unique experience.
1. Neal McDonough comes from a non-show-business family.
His father met his mother while working at the nearby Ford plant. He later moved into real estate and bought a small hotel on Cape Cod, where Neal grew up. Neal’s father instilled in him a strong work ethic and assured him that if he worked hard, he would achieve great success.
It was always a thrill for him, as the youngest of six children, to make his elder siblings giggle. “I was the school’s troublemaker and the center of attention,” he explained. He was horrible in arithmetic and reading because of his dyslexia, but he was excellent at making others laugh.
2. How it all started: Neal’s journey to becoming an actor
He graduated from Barnstable High School. He then attended Syracuse University, where he became a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1988. He was offered a large scholarship to play baseball in college, but he chose to pursue acting instead.
In 1991, he won the Best Actor Dramalogue award for his performance in Away Alone. His first film, Darkman, was released in 1990, following the success of numerous TV shows and films such as Boomtown, Star Trek: First Contact, Minority Report, Walking Tall, and The Hitcher.
Furthermore, he received positive feedback on his famous character, villain Damien Darhk, from the series Arrow, in which he played a character with mystical powers who reflects how truly good he is in real life.
Furthermore, he confessed that he wanted to stop his Hollywood career before meeting his wife. He intended to return to Cape Cod, where he would work at his parents’ hotel and perform in community theater. Then he got a call from Steven Spielberg asking him to audition for Band of Brothers, and it was game on.
3. Neal McDonough and Ruvé Robertson met in 2000.
The two lovers met by chance in 2000, while Neal was filming Band of Brothers. He claims that the first time he saw his wife, Ruvé, he fell in love with her. He also claims that they ran into each other on St. Patrick’s Day in 2004 during an interview.
Similarly, he claimed that the first time he saw her, he unintentionally said, “You’re tall.” He was already seeing someone else when they met, and he called his then-girlfriend and told her, “I’m sorry, but it’s not going to work out between us anymore.” “I recently met the woman I’m going to marry.”
4. In 2003, the McDonough’s got hitched.
Ruvé and Neal married on December 1, 2003, three years after they met. Their wedding was lovely, and their honeymoon was fantastic. It lasted 7 weeks and took place in Cape Cod, London, South Africa, Santa Barbara, and other locations.
Through his Instagram posts, he continues to show how much he adores his wife. On their 13th wedding anniversary, he posted a heartfelt message about marrying his best friend, love, and life partner. He thanked God once more for the best thing that could ever happen to a man.
The McDonoughs have been married for 19 years and are still living their wonderful life with two boys and three girls.
Morgan Patrick McDonough was their first child out of those two boys and three girls, and Catherine Maggie McDonough was their second. After a few years, their third child, a daughter named London Jane McDonough, was born.
Clover Elizabeth McDonough was born next, followed by the couple’s youngest child, James Hamilton McDonough. So the family of seven, based in Los Angeles, lives a happy life together.
5. After they got married, Neal McDonough refused to participate in kissing scenes for movies and series.
So, on his way to becoming an actor, he made it clear that his faith comes first. In fact, he has never done any unsuitable scenes in his entire 30-year career. Even after being married for as long as they have, the father of 5 still loves his wife more than anyone else. He said, “I won’t kiss any other woman because these lips are only for one woman.”
Some people in Hollywood have been willing to respect his beliefs, like when he got a part on a show that had a lot of inappropriate content: “When Marc Cherry signed me, I told him, ’You probably already know this, but I won’t kiss anyone.’” He remembered telling the show’s creator that he was a Christian, “’But this is Desperate Housewives!’ Cherry said. I told him, ’I know.’ He waited about 5 seconds and then said, ’Okay, I’ll just have to write better.’”
6. He got fired from Scoundrels for refusing to touch anyone’s lips other than his wife’s.
McDonough claimed that his “no love scenes” policy cost him a role on the ABC show Scoundrels in 2010. He refused to do racy scenes with actress Virginia Madsen because he was devoted to his wife. This move is said to have cost him $1 million.
He was shocked, and it was a terrible situation for him. After that, nobody would hire him because he wouldn’t agree to participate in these types of scenes. He commented, “I have a lot of faith.”
7. Neal and his family got through the storm because they chose to count on their confidence instead trying to change the world.
He knew he’d made the right decision by believing in himself and his wife, the woman he fell in love with at first sight. He said, “I’m the luckiest guy I know to have her as my partner in everything after 5 kids and a really great life.”
Neal may have had some hard times, but since then, his career has been phenomenal. His face is well-known, even if not everyone knows his name.
What do you think about how involved Neal McDonough is with his family? Do you agree that he is the best example of a lovable, dedicated father and husband? Tell us what you think in the comments.