Warda

Neil McDonough, a devout Catholic actor known for his refusal to do kissing or sex scenes out of respect for his wife, Ruvé, recently made a rare exception—but with a twist. In his latest film, the script called for a kiss at the end, so McDonough convinced his wife to play the role of the woman he kisses. That way, he could stay true to both the character and his convictions. The couple, who have five children together, made the creative decision to preserve his long-standing vow while honoring the demands of the story. McDonough has previously paid a steep price for his moral stance. In 2010, he lost a $1 million role on the ABC show Scoundrels after refusing to perform sex scenes with actress Virginia Madsen. “They said, ‘You have to do it, or you're fired.’ I said, ‘Then fire me,’ and they did,” he recalled. “I was blackballed for two years. I couldn’t find work, and because of that, I lost my big beautiful house in L.A., my shiny Mercedes, everything—including my confidence. It was crushing. People saw me as some kind of religious fanatic. But for me, it was just about doing what I believed was right. And above all, I love my wife. As I’ve said a million times—these lips are meant for one woman.”