Neal McDonough
Appearances
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
As a husband, and in my character, who I kind of make it as a Richard Branson type of a character, very well-to-do guy, prepared everything, knowing that something like this was going to happen at some point. Well, it happened. Atomic bomb goes off, and the world is thrown upside down. But I prepared for it, and I have militia guarding my homestead.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
Well, when I have relatives and friends pounding at the gate to come in and looking for food, what am I prepared to do as a self-proclaimed Christian? And it makes my character really think about what life is truly about. And I love doing characters like this because it makes me realize what life is truly about. And that's about, you know, it's about love.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
It's about loving each other and enjoying each other and the gifts that God is giving us. And instead of making everything about ourselves, how can we serve our fellow brothers better? And that's what the film's about. And that's what I love about Angel Studios, that they allow us to make great films like this.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
Yeah, kind of perfectly put, Charlie. Yeah, it's what will you do when something like this, some tragedy happens, when an atomic bomb goes off and the whole world is just thrown upside down? What are you prepared to do if you're someone who has everything? Also, what are you prepared to do if you have nothing?
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
And what are you going to do for your family to get food, to get anything, to get shelter? These are discussions that aren't taken lightly, and we don't take it lightly in the film Homestead. We really talk about it. And what will you do?
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
And I love being part of films like this because, again, it's something that you can be six years old, you can be 90 years old, you can all be in the theater together and seeing something that will make you think, what am I prepared to do as a Christian? What am I prepared to do as a Jew or a Muslim or agnostic or Buddhist? It doesn't matter what you are.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
What are you prepared to do to help humanity? And that's what we're all here for. At least that's what I firmly believe. We're here to love our neighbors and be kinder to each other and help each other and make the world a better place through love. And Angel Studios allows us to make a film like this, which is pretty fantastic. And I'm so proud to be part of this.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
Yeah, for sure. I mean, anything through Angel Studios. You know, and again, I don't want to say it's just a Christian ethic, although it is for sure. It's a worldly ethic of since we are all children of God, shouldn't we root for each other more?
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
And I keep on saying this all the time and hopefully it'll hammer home to people at some point and not think that your race or creed or religion is that much superior to others because that's what we all fight about, isn't it? We're all his kids. So let's figure out how to root for each other more instead of tear each other down.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
And if you like films like this, if you would like to go to a film, you can bring the whole family and talk about worldly issues, Christian issues, whatever you want to call it. Then you have to support this film, buy tickets, go to the theater, do these things, buy tickets for other people, paying it forward through the Angel website.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
And if you do that, you're telling Hollywood, you know, we're tired of the stuff that you usually put out. We want to talk about or see films that the whole family can enjoy together and have a good conversation about. And that's what Angel does. So if that's a film you want, It speaks loudly to them when they're turning profits on films like this.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
So please, I implore you, if this is what you want to see out there, support the film, support Angel Studios, and it allows us to keep on making great films.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
Bitcoin's up over $100,000 now, so I'll take a Bitcoin. I'm glad to take one of those.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
Or the other stuff, the Go bags and everything else. They've prepared a lot of great stuff for people.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
They said, you have to do it or we're going to fire you. I'm like, well, I'm not going to do it. So they fired me. I was blackballed for two years. I couldn't get a job. And because of that, I lost my big, beautiful house in Los Angeles, my shiny Mercedes, all my stuff, and my swagger. And as you can imagine, at the time, I was really crushed. They thought that I was some religious zealot.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
But to me, it was just that I didn't think it was the right thing to do. And also, I really love my wife. And as I've said, and I'll say it a million times, these lips are meant for one woman. And I'm not sure if she's here in the room yet with our five kids, but if you see her, you'll understand why. But after that, my confidence was gone. I lost it all. And I started wallowing in self-pity.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
I started drinking my problems away. It hurt. Almost two years went by, and it was the lowest point I could get to. And I remember this day like it was yesterday. I was so angry. And to God, I said, why have you forgotten about me? Why are you doing this to me?
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
be careful what you profess to be because you'll be called on it at some point. You know, that was one of those, I look back at that, you know, I call it my kind of the crucifixion for me of how hard it was going through all of that at that time. And it was brutal. It was, it was really, it was, it was hard, but I look back at it now with such pride and thankfulness because I,
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
Now I get to do what I've always wanted to do. And I needed to step up and stand my ground a little bit harder. And I stood my ground that day and it hurt. But there was a plan that I didn't know about that God had for us, that he has a plan for all of us. Every single one of us, everyone of you who are watching right now and listening right now, he has a plan for all of us.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
You may not want to listen to that plan, but he has a plan. And his plan for myself and Revae and the McDonough Company is to make films that give glory to him.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
And if I hadn't been kicked to the curb like that, I'm not sure if I ever would have gotten to this place where I'm talking about amazing films like Homestead or The Shift or The Last Rodeo we have coming out in May, which is just a stupendous film that the incredible John Avnett directed for us that I wrote.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
And talking about kissing, the first time I kissed a woman on screen in a feature film is going to be in The Last Rodeo, which comes out again in May. And I wrote it, so I wrote into it that my wife, Revae, has to play my wife in the film of flashbacks. She has three small scenes, but one of them is the two of us making out with each other, of course, while she's dying.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
And it's just, it's a beautiful scene. It was one of my favorite days I ever had as an actor. I finally got to kiss a woman on screen. It's my woman. And what a powerful feeling that was.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
You inferred perfectly. Yeah. I would, they want me to a kissing scene and I wouldn't do it. And they said, we'll fire you. I'm like, okay, well then I guess you're going to fire me. And they did. And I, I was blackballed, you know, I was canceled. I guess that's the term you call it, but it was, it was brutal. It was hard losing everything.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
And we had lots of stuff, but then I realized life wasn't about stuff. Life is about love and life is about doing the right thing and trying to always be the best version of you possible. And, and, I learned a lot of great things from those times where I was really hurting. And I had two great things to get me through it.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
My wife, Revae, as I've said, I can go through life with one hand behind my back as long as the other one's being led by Revae. And the other one, of course, is my relationship with God, that I want to do the right thing by him. And that's what we're doing now. And films like Homestead kind of prove that, that I've gotten to this point where I get to make films that I'm really proud of.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
They give great messages about him and for him. and how we can make the world a better place through film. And here I am on The Charlie Kirk Show talking about this career that I've built with my wife and how blessed am I. Praise the Lord.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
Yeah. Yes, for sure. If you're an actor, they want you to be an actor. If you're a writer, they want you to be a writer. If you're a producer, they don't want you to... jump to different things and be some kind of a hyphenate, I guess. I kind of threw out the rule book years ago where I don't really care about any of that. All I care about is being the best actor that I can be.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
My dad said, if you go to Hollywood, if they give you a dollar, give them $2 worth of effort. And my dad right off the boat from Ireland, he knew what a dollar meant. And I work really hard to make sure that all the choices I make are really entertaining. That's my job security, to be the best actor that I can be. And always be striving to be my very best in everything that I do.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
Is it harder as a Christian or as a Catholic or as a person of faith? I don't even like to think about it. Look, I get to do film. I get to do TV. I get to do documentaries. I get to do stage. I get to play good guys. I get to play bad guys. I get to do everything. I've been very...
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
blessed to have this career that I've had and now I get to do it with my wife, producing our films through Angel Studios and that's our home and I can't even tell you how fortunate I am 10 years ago where I was and how hard it was and how brutal things were at that point thinking I was never going to get out of this
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
I got out of it through my faith in him and you know through my wife's faith in me that I got through those horrible dark times to create something so beautiful as the films that we've been been making lately and it's just um everything that I do you know from my health what I eat what I what I do with my body and you know but a year ago I had to get really this great shape for
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
the last rodeo and I got shredded. I got really ripped and I bought into this company, flipped my life and we started, you know, selling all these different great things to help people just feel better about life. So it's not just about my acting that I'm trying to make the world a better place.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
I'm trying to make the world a better place through the products that I am part of, things that I endorse, things that I wear, things that I eat, things that I say, everything. I try to make sure that it has importance to everything that I do. And my wife, Revae, feels exactly the same way.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
So the two of us together are on this kind of mission to make the world a better place through everything that we do. And isn't that what we're all supposed to do?
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
Well, you know, if you have talent, you'll go so far. If you have confidence, you'll go so far. If you have both, great things are going to happen. But to have confidence, you have to know who you are and what you really want to do. And for me, it was I wanted to – make sure that I was surrounded by people who knew what I wanted to do and we build together.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
So we keep on hiring the same crews, a lot of the same actors in our pieces because they understand what we want to do and what we're trying to build. And for those who are new to it, Look, you've got iPhones now. We didn't have iPhones when I first started. You had to go get tape or you had to do shows or theater or whatever the case is. You have an iPhone.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
You can make your own movie and send it off to Angel Studios. Send it to the Irwin Brothers. Send it to the Kendricks. Send it to Dallas Jenkins. Send it to any of these people. If you want to be in the kind of films that we're making, send it to the McDonough Company. We have an email. We answer every email that comes in. That's the way we do it because we want to give back energy.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
and help and build for the future in this industry and to make films that give glory to him. And that's what we're doing. And we're so blessed to do it. So if you're young and you're just starting out, or if you've been doing it for a while and you're kind of stuck, well, if that's the kind of film that you want to be part of, it's pretty easy. Reach out to these companies. Support these movies.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
Go to the movie theaters and keep buying tickets to films like Homestead or The Shift or The Last Rodeo or any of these films that the people that I just mentioned are making. Then there'll be a lot more films like this. And with more films comes more production. With more production comes more crew. With more crew comes more jobs to people who need to work.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
And hopefully in California, they'll figure out a way to get more filming back here in the great state of California because, you know, it's hard always leaving. It's hard going to Vancouver for years or going to Atlanta or going wherever. I love doing what I do. I sure would love it a lot more if I got to do it at home and sleep in my bed at night.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
And that's our next goal, you know, to talk to the government to try to make it happen here.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
Well, first of all, just to work again with Angel Studios. Before that, what a big fan I am of yours, Charlie, what you stand for.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
The way you talk, the way that your pride in the United States of America is something that doesn't go unnoticed. So thank you so much for that, first and foremost. Thank you.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
But, you know, Ravay and I, my wife Ravay and I, we partnered up with Angel Studios a couple of years back and we couldn't be happier to be part of a film company that puts out films that the whole family can go to the movie theater. And then go see a film together and not have to worry about seeing certain things in a film. And then have a conversation after.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
Those are the great old days when I was a kid. We used to go to see films where the whole family can go and see it. Those days have just kind of been lost. There's a lot of messages that have been put into films from Hollywood that I don't generally agree with. I'm guilty of being part of some of them. That's for sure. I have to make a living too as an actor.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
But ever since we started working with Angel, we kind of changed things up. And we want to give glory to God in everything that we do for our films. And Revae and I are just about to start our 10th project together. So... Once we made that decision of not making it about ourselves and making it about doing great entertainment for people to watch and to learn from, everything started to change.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Beating Hollywood's War on Christians
And films like Homestead are exactly that. It's a film that talks about a horrible thing happens. As horrible things will always happen. That's part of life. But how will you deal with it as a dad? How will you deal with it as a landowner? How will you deal with that as a