Real-Life Love
‘Yellowstone’s Neal McDonough Reveals He Had His First Onscreen Kiss at 59 After No-Smooch Rule
Yellowstone and Tulsa King star Neal McDonough has remained steadfast over the years about his no-kiss rule. The actor has always had it written into his contracts that he wouldn’t kiss a woman onscreen.
In a recent Nothing Left Unsaid podcast interview, McDonough opened up the impact his decision had on his career. “My wife didn’t have any problem with it. It was me, really, who had a problem with it,” he admitted. “When I couldn’t do it, and they couldn’t understand it, Hollywood just completely turned on me. They wouldn’t let me be part of the show anymore.”
The Desperate Housewives alum claimed he “couldn’t get a job” for two years. “I lost everything you could possibly imagine,” he confessed. “Not just houses and material things, but your swagger, your cool, who you are, your identity—everything. My identity was an actor, and a really good one. And once you don’t have that identity, you’re kind of lost in a tailspin.”
However, the 59 year old broke his no-kiss rule in his latest movie The Last Rodeo — but there’s a catch. His onscreen love interest is McDonough’s real-life wife, Ruve McDonough!
@thelastrodeomovie See Neal McDonough’s first on-screen kiss with his real wife Ruvé in #TheLastRodeoMovie 💋🎥 Now playing in theaters! Tickets available at angel.com/rodeo 💕 #AngelStudios #PBR #NealMcDonough @thenealmcdonough @angelstudiosinc @pbr ♬ original sound – The Last Rodeo Movie
“Many people out there have asked me what it’s like to have your first screen kiss, which I just did in The Last Rodeo,” Neal revealed on TikTok. “The reason it’s so special to me, as everyone knows, I won’t kiss another woman on screen, but now I get to kiss the one, the only, my best friend, and the love of my life Ruvé, who plays my wife Rose in The Last Rodeo.”
He added, “She was amazing. The film is amazing. But to have my first screen kiss and to actually play the hero, and kiss the girl in the end, is something that I’ve never done, but something I’ve always wanted to do my whole career. Now I get to do it.”
The McDonoughs have been married since 2003. They met on the set of the critically acclaimed HBO limited series Band of Brothers. Over the course of their marriage, the couple has welcomed five children.
The Last Rodeo, Streaming Now, Angel Studios
