Christian actor Neal McDonough is boldly standing up for his faith after his beliefs got him “blackballed” in Hollywood, with the “Band of Brothers” and “Captain America” actor now bouncing back with a new film about a man whose beliefs push him to put his family first and push forward against all odds.
For context, in an interview with CBN News’ Billy Hallowell on May 24, 2025, Neal McDonough recounted the story of how his Christian values made it nearly impossible for him to find work in Hollywood, explaining that he had lost it all after his career opportunities stopped coming in. However, McDonough told Hallowell that his life turned around, and he committed to boldly displaying his faith with the medium of film.
In the interview, McDonough discussed his new film “The Last Rodeo,” which hit theaters on May 23 — a film that stars McDonough as “a retired rodeo legend” who “risks it all to save his grandson.” McDonough told Hallowell that he had come up with the concept in a moment of inspiration, calling it “a gift from above.” Moreover, McDonough explained that within a day of coming up with the concept for the film, “we had the first draft on.”
Continuing, McDonough praised God for “The Last Rodeo” finding its feet so quickly, saying, “A week later, we had it sold. This is His divine intervention that…two years from the idea, it’s going to be in the theater.” Moreover, after the film’s release on May 23, positive reviews came pouring in, with Variety’s Joe Leydon calling it an “undeniably engaging faith-based drama.”
In addition to telling the story of the miraculous inspiration for “The Last Rodeo,” McDonough was vulnerable with Hallowell about the fact that his career faltered because of his Christian faith. He told Hallowell, “I wouldn’t kiss a woman on [“Desperate Housewives”] years ago,” adding, “And then I got blackballed.” Continuing, McDonough explained that in the wake of standing by his values, “I lost my house, and I lost everything — cars, you neame it” He added, “I went bankrupt.”
However, McDonough’s story didn’t end there. The actor explained that after struggling for several years, he recommitted his career to God and found success again, saying his activity in the film industry has “come back tenfold.” McDonough told Hallowell, “Now, I’m in the position where God has given me the gift of — [my wife] Ruve and I are about to produce our eleventh production in four years.”
Bringing his story to a close, McDonough said that he believed that his success had been a result of being “called really to my faith,” adding that he believes that God is “always there for us,” adding, “We’re not always there for him, but He’s always there for us.” The actor went on to explain that when it comes to film, “The fame and fortune part, that’s the least interesting part to me of all of this.”
Concluding, McDonough explained that rather than focusing on fame and money, his passion is “telling great stories.” He added, “And now I get to tell great stories that entertain people — that give glory to God.” His new film, “The Last Rodeo,” is out now via Angel Studios. The studio described the movie as a story that proves that “true courage is found in the fight for family.”
Watch the trailer:
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video