Neal McDonough has been doing a lot of work in the DC Comics CWVerse. He was the big bad of Season 04 of Arrow as Damien Darhk, and then jumped over to Legends of Tomorrow this season as part of the “Legion of Doom” as the same character. McDonough was at the Arrow 100th episode party and got to talk with ComicBook.com about the experiences he’s had on both shows:
“Legends is a different show; it’s a little bit lighter,” McDonough said. “Now with Barrowman this year — the two of us and Matt, we’re having so much fun being really evil, but in a fun way. Arrow is a different show; it was the greatest experience of my life.”
He notes that because of the time period we met him in during Legends of Tomorrow, the 1940s, his future is still up in the air, so thus Damien Darhk is still supremely confident, especially since he doesn’t know what “happens” in 2016.
“Why does he eventually lose?” the actor mused. “That’s not necessarily true now. They found a time machine, they picked me up in the ’40s and I’m off to the races now. There’s no end to Damien Darhk.”
McDonough Stands Firm Behind His Faith
Although his one “weakness” from Season 04, his wife Ruve, is not with him because of his place in the 1940s, so now he has nothing to lose in his mind.
“Not having my wife at that point, and not knowing who my wife is — I don’t know that I’m going to get married, I don’t know that I’m going to murder hundreds of thousands of people, none of that stuff — I don’t want to say he’s a little more evil, but I also don’t have as much to fight for, so I’m more of a loose cannon, which is fun to play,” McDonough said.
After being shunned by Hollywood due to his bold faith, actor Neal McDonough has found new life through faith-based projects.
“We all know that I kind of went through troubles years back because I won’t kiss another woman on screen,” McDonough told Fox Business. “At the time it was painful. I didn’t work for two years; I lost everything, house, cars, and this and that. It was one of the most brutal times in my life.”
Notably, the actor has met with many challenges to his faith. His foundation in Christ came before his career, and Hollywood didn’t respect that. Hollywood blacklisted him because he wasn’t willing to blindly follow every order given him.
“I am very religious. I put God and family first, and me second. That’s what I live by. It was hard for a few years,” he said.
How McDonough Made it Back to the Saddle
A few years later, after returning to the film industry, McDonough began getting roles again. He was usually cast as a villain because villains don’t have sex or kissing scenes, which McDonough didn’t mind.
“My wife helped me get through it, my belief in who I am and what I stand for, and now, here I am, 10, 15 years later because of that with films with Angel Studios and THE SHIFT that just came out and LAST RODEO, the next one that I wrote,” McDonough said. “Also, HOMESTEAD, the series I finished producing with my wife.”
“It’s incredible where I am now. I finally get to be the heroes in film, in TV shows, instead of the villain,” he continued, explaining how the thing that got him fired from the industry has come full circle. “In the next film, THE LAST RODEO, I kiss someone on screen.”
“It flashes back to my deceased wife, and who else is playing that but my actual wife. I said, ‘I’m famous for one take for my acting. It might be 20 takes [for that scene].’ I will milk that kiss,” he joked.
