Neal McDonough has famously upheld a personal rule against on-screen kissing, but the actor has broken that boundary for his latest project.
The actor had a special, milestone kiss with the love of his life, Ruvé, in the movie “The Last Rodeo.”
McDonough spoke to Fox News Digital about how it felt to get back in the saddle after starring in Western projects, including “Yellowstone,” as well as finally being able to “kiss the girl in the end.”
NEAL MCDONOUGH SAYS HE RELIED ON FAITH AFTER BEING BLACKLISTED IN HOLLYWOOD
“I’ve been riding horses my whole life, so to jump into this saddle is different because I’ve never really been in this type of saddle before,” McDonough said. “I’ve not been the hero of the movie. I’ve never been in the position where I get to kiss the girl in the end because, as everyone knows, I won’t kiss another woman on screen.”
McDonough added it took a bit of persuasion to have Ruvé, who helped produce “The Last Rodeo” and starred as his on-screen wife, on board, especially during their romantic scenes.
WATCH: NEAL MCDONOUGH FINALLY GETS HIS ON-SCREEN KISS IN ‘THE LAST RODEO’
“I convinced my wife, Ruvé. I said, ‘Honey, you have to be in the film because I have to kiss the girl in the end.’ She’s like, ‘I don’t know how to act.’ I’m like, ‘Well, you do now.’”
Directed by his longtime friend and filmmaker Jon Avnet, the moment wasn’t just a cinematic kiss to McDonough, he explained, but the culmination of years of faith and dedication toward his marriage that has withstood the pressures of Hollywood.
‘YELLOWSTONE’ STAR COLE HAUSER SPILLS SPIN-OFF SECRETS, EMBRACES ‘CLASSY’ WORLD OF AMERICAN COWBOYS
“We did it, and that was one of my favorite moments I’ve ever had on a set. There I am, wearing the hero hat, being directed by my favorite director of all time, Jon Avnet, kissing my wife in a movie, finally doing it the way I’ve always wanted to do it. It’s the greatest feeling,” McDonough said.
Neal and wife Ruvé have been married more than two decades. When Fox News Digital asked what it was like having the spotlight on their romance scenes, he jokingly replied, “Oh, we got it on that day. It was awesome.”
However, filming the kissing scene took a humorous turn when their daughter, London, was on set during her parents’ take.
WATCH: NEAL MCDONOUGH SHARES HOW SYLVESTER STALLONE SUPPORTED HIS FILM ‘THE LAST RODEO’
“Our daughter London was there, and she was like, ‘Dad, can you stop? Because I’m famous for one, maybe two takes — eight or nine takes through. I’m like, ‘Jon, I need one more. I didn’t get that right.’ And there we are, mackin’ again. And there’s London, ‘Oh dad, you’re grossing me out.’”
McDonough explained that he got to show “my love for my wife,” knowing the moment was going to be showcased on an 80-foot screen.
“Watching me love the thing that I love more than anything on this planet … for me, it was the crowning achievement of everything I’ve done in my life.
“Ups and downs, the hard times I went through because of choices I’ve made, now are all in the rearview mirror. And I couldn’t be happier because all of it was directed by one of my greatest friends, my mentor, my big brother, John Avnet, and I wouldn’t be here without you.”
While “The Last Rodeo” focused on themes of faith, family and redemption in the high-adrenaline world of bull riding, director Avnet shared with Fox News Digital how he tied all the subjects together in his latest project and what it was like working alongside his longtime friend, McDonough.
WATCH: ‘THE LAST RODEO’ DIRECTOR COMPARES NEAL MCDONOUGH TO CLINT EASTWOOD
“I really believed in Neil as an actor, and I believed he was a leading man in the model of Clint Eastwood, you know, or John Wayne or Gary Cooper, Jimmy Stewart,” Avnet said.
“He has an ability to express so much by doing seemingly so little, but, in this case, he was emotionally there. … Here’s Neil, no longer a kid. And I think, ‘Wow, he’s got it. He’s got that Western star appeal.'”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
Fox News Digital additionally spoke with McDonough and his wife at a Professional Bull Riders event in Arlington, Texas, where “The Last Rodeo” star shared what his intense training consisted of. He acknowledged being injured while bull riding.
WATCH: ‘THE LAST RODEO’ STAR NEAL MCDONOUGH SAYS HE WAS INJURED WHILE BULL RIDING
“There was a lot of work. … For me, it was mostly mechanical bulls for months and months and months. And that beats the snot out of you. And it was hard, but I just didn’t want anything to not look 100% authentic.”
In “The Last Rodeo,” McDonough portrays a retired rodeo legend who risked it all to save his sick grandson. As he faced his own painful past and the fears of his family, McDonough’s character entered a high-stakes bull riding competition as the oldest contestant ever.
Along the way, he reconciles old wounds with his estranged daughter and proves that true courage is found in the fight for family.
“The Last Rodeo” will be released in theaters May 23.
Fox News Digital’s Larry Fink contributed to this report.
