Neal McDonough Talks Faith, Family, And Why He Wants His Movies To Get People Talking

Neal McDonough made a career out of playing tough characters. From Lieutenant Lynn “Buck” Compton in “Band of Brothers” to the steely villain Michael Beck in “Yellowstone,” McDonough always seems to play someone who sends a chill up your spine.

But offscreen, McDonough’s the polar opposite: warm and kind, committed to faith and family, and on a quest to make movies that touch audiences on a deeper level.

In an exclusive interview with The Daily Wire, McDonough opened up about his new film, “Guns N’ Moses,” an independent thriller about a group of orthodox Jews grappling with the aftermath of an attack on their synagogue. He hopes the film will inspire viewers to find connections with those who don’t share their beliefs, and realize that we all have more in common than we may otherwise think.

The actor also discussed why he believes smaller, independent films are filling a gap left by Hollywood.

“Guns N’ Moses” was shot in just 20 days, but boasts impressive production values. McDonough thrives on the challenges of indie filmmaking because, he said, that’s where meaningful stories still get told.

“You couldn’t make a film like this for a big studio because it really goes out on a limb and talks about things,” he explained. “The studios…they’re much more tentpole films now…big, huge, action blockbuster types of films. And they’ve really kind of gotten away from the crafting of ideas for smaller films.”

For McDonough, those smaller films are where the important conversations happen.

“Films like this make you realize that we need to be nicer to each other,” he said. “We can all have our different beliefs, but we all believe in the same all-powerful being that created all of us. So, we should be rooting for each other more.”

A devout Catholic, McDonough said he’s experienced firsthand how speaking openly about faith can bring backlash in the industry. He made headlines in 2010 after being let go from the ABC drama “Scoundrels” for refusing to participate in intimate scenes or kiss another woman.

“Whenever you stand up for your faith, especially in a positive way, there will be so many people who are ready to take you down,” he said. “They have to have a fight over it. ‘My faith is better than your faith. My color is better than your color. My bank account is bigger than yours.’ It’s kind of exhausting.”

He referenced John Lennon’s “Imagine” as an idealistic vision, but acknowledged that it’s not necessarily realistic.

“Films like Guns N’ Moses talk about the fact that it’s not a better place at times,” he said. “There is hate and there are problems within faiths. Especially now with what’s going on with Israel and the Middle East…it’s really a hard time to figure out: well, what is the truth?”

For McDonough, the answer remains the same. “The truth is always what God says to me in particular. It’s what is God’s idea? God’s idea is we must love each other and we must honor God. Those are the two big things that we’re supposed to be doing.”

In recent years, McDonough and his wife, Ruvé McDonough, a South African model he met while filming “Band of Brothers,” have been producing their own slate of films. Their latest project, “The Last Rodeo,” recently hit top spots on Amazon and Apple.

“People really want to see films that make you think about faith, make you think about Him,” McDonough said. “Doesn’t matter if you’re a Jew or a Christian or Muslim or agnostic or whatever. It makes you think, how can I be a bit better of a person as a husband or as a father, as a coworker, as whatever?”

“A lot of films nowadays don’t allow you to think. They give you the choices and they’ll play the music to swell up to make you think that way. Well, that’s manufacturing a thought process,” he added.

The Hollywood veteran believes films like “Guns N’ Moses” push back against that formula.

“It’s pimples and all. Here’s the film. It’s going to make you think about what your place is in life and how you can make it a better place for everyone else around you.”

For McDonough, it all circles back to the values he holds dear: faith, family, and finding life’s deeper meaning.

“America is the United States of America, not the divided States of America,” he said. “Our country was built upon faith…a Judeo-Christian faith is what it was built upon. It mentions God four times in the Declaration of Independence. It’s on our money. It’s everywhere we go.”

“But somehow we veer away from it because of the temptations that are in front of us. A bigger car, nicer house…You’ll never find happiness if you’re chasing that,” the actor said.

He admitted he used to chase those things himself until he shifted focus to what truly matters.

“Once you start chasing the right thing, two things are going to happen,” he explained. “You’re going to be much more fulfilled because you’re doing the right thing for your Heavenly Father. But it’s also gonna be a lot of people out there who are gonna want to take you down and say horrible things.”

Yet he remains committed to telling stories that encourage audiences to reflect and grow.

“We’re gonna keep on making films like ‘Guns N’ Moses.’ We’re gonna keep on doing films like ‘The Last Rodeo,’ which is killing it right now on video. People want to see films that they can bring the whole family to look at, and have a real discussion about a movie and how we can be better as a society.”

McDonough also dismissed the notion that conservative Christians are at odds Jewish people. “That’s not true,” he said flatly. “America is really a Judeo-Christian society. I lived in Hancock Park for a long time and all our neighbors were orthodox Jews. And boy, we got along quite well.”

He called the faith traditions “almost exactly identical” in their values and said true believers in any faith respect each other.

“It’s the ones who don’t 100% believe in Him first, me second…then it becomes about you and your personal opinions. Well, it shouldn’t really be your personal opinion. It should be your personal acceptance of God, acceptance of other beliefs, acceptance of everyone.”

“No one is exactly the same. So why should one person think that their belief or their color or their money is better than somebody else’s? It’s all about faith and He built us to love each other, not to hate each other.”

That, McDonough said, is the message at the heart of “Guns N’ Moses.”

“We’re all in this together,” he said. “Shouldn’t we just enjoy each other more instead of hating each other more?”

Despite Hollywood’s frequent hostility toward faith-based storytelling, McDonough is hopeful that independent films can help fill the cultural gap.

“I think Hollywood has really veered off from making films that can help change your life in a better way to making films that can change your life through darkness and through all kinds of crazy stuff. And I’m guilty of being part of a lot of those films,” he admitted. “I have to make a living as an actor.”

“But when it has our name on it for the McDonough Company, you know it’s gonna be a film that is about family, it’s about faith, and it’s about doing the right thing. And ‘Guns N’ Moses’ goes right along with that.”

He’s convinced audiences are hungry for it. “There has to be a common ground,” McDonough said. “We can come together and allow each other to have our different beliefs… and maybe we can enjoy some together and break bread together and have a good conversation.” And that’s the type of filmmaking he intends to keep pursuing.

“Guns N’ Moses” hits theaters July 18. “It’s an important movie,” McDonough said. “You guys gotta go out there and see it.”