Follow Zap2it:
Zap2it First
Neal McDonough signed on to 'Scoundrels' knowing there were sex scenes
Earlier this week, we reported that David James Elliot had replaced Neal McDonough on the new ABC series "Scoundrels."Now, Zap2it's sources tell us why the actor was replaced just a few days into shooting the new series.
We're told that apparently McDonough refused to do sex scenes, which he says go against his family and religious values. But, here's the kicker: He knew that sex scenes would be expected of him the whole time.
According to one source, the ABC executive who made the call to replace McDonough says the actor signed on to the series knowing that intimate scenes with star Virginia Madsen were in the script.
While ABC declined to comment, another source who has had access to the script confirms that sex and kissing scenes were written into it and the actor accepted the part anyway.
Zap2it's calls to McDonough's management were not returned.
Did McDonough think that his star power would get the network to change the character's scenes for him? Obviously, he thought wrong.
Follow Zap2it on Twitter, @TheRealJethro on Twitter, and Zap2it on Facebook for all your movies, TV and celebrity news.
Related:
All of Zap2it's pilot season coverage
Photo credits: Getty Images
Follow Zap2it on Twitter and Zap2it on Facebook for the latest news and buzz
Zap2it Elite Sheet Must Reads from the Web's In-Crowd
Our Partners
Glad to hear that there are actors like McDonough with standards like this. That's really cool.
And yes, I imagine he thought he could get them to change the script, but sometimes things just don't work out the way you hoped. Maybe he shouldn't have accepted the role to begin with, but I do kind of understand his trying. He probably like the project and thought he would be able to pull some weight. If he gets a nice role in a hit movie, that'd probably change just like that.
It's amazing what an up-tick in status can do. Recently Ed Helms was added to the opening credits for "The Office" after they had remained unchanged for 5 seasons. Now, Craig Robinson ("Hot Tub Time Machine" among other stuff) is going to be added too.
I'd rather lose my job than make out with the oh-so-fine Virginia Madsen - WTF??? Guess this guy will soon be appearing on Fox News with Sarah Palin and Victoria Jackson.
I'm surprised a producer or someone on the crew didn't raise this flag sooner. This isn't something new to McDonough's work ethic. There's nothing wrong w/ it, more power to him. It is, however, very unfair to upset the dynamic of cast & crew and the added expense having to do re-shoots etc.
I just lost some respect for McDonough, a favorite for his work on "Boomtown" and "Band of Brothers" among other things. Cause I mean really, we're not talking HBO here. This is an ABC show. That means there is no nudity or anything. It can't be too rough. At least nothing as bad as when he played an alcoholic cheating on his wife in "Boomtown". I don't remember any real sex scenes but she walked out in her bra once. And he made lots of innuendo. What's so different now Neal?
So he has no moral objections to violence or killing -- given that his character killed people on Desperate Housewives -- but he has "moral and religious" objections to having sex onscreen?
Man, talk about screwed up religious values. This is why America is laughed at by the rest of the world.
Let's see, he played a psycho on Desperate Housewives, but upjects to sex scenes. Murder? Sex scenes? Hello it called acting!
He was going to get *paid* to make out with Virginia Madsen, and he had a problem with that? We don't want this guy; he's several marbles short of a full bag!
I love Neal. And I know what his standards are, but if he accepted the part knowing what was in it, that's not cool. Still love him tho.
Seeing as the person who posted this story knows that there were intimate scenes in this movie, surely they must know that Neal was also assured that they will work around it. This is the magic of film - you can make anything appear the way you want it to be. And a lot of the times, actors are promised one thing just to be confronted with a different scenario once filming begins. Come on. Neal got blind sided. And I totally support him in his decision.
I agree with Amy. He has always been upfront about this issue. When Marc Cherry asked him to do Desperate Houswives, he told him he did not want to do any sex scenes and Marc agreed to work around it. I am sure he was just as upfront to the producers of Scoundrels, after all his character was supposed to be in prison. You can't have much sex in prison right?