Tulsa King star Neal McDonough refused to do s*x scenes on-screen and became one of Hollywood’s most recognizable villains due to his personal values rooted in his Catholic faith and deep respect for his wife. On the Nothing Left Unsaid podcast (via Variety), McDonough revealed,
I’d always had in my contracts I wouldn’t kiss another woman on-screen. My wife didn’t have any problem with it. It was me, really, who had a problem with it. When I couldn’t do it, and they couldn’t understand it, Hollywood just completely turned on me.
The actor said this decision caused a major career setback as he admitted losing everything:
For two years, I couldn’t get a job, and I lost everything you could possibly imagine. Not just houses and material things, but your swagger, your cool, who you are, your identity— everything. My identity was an actor and really good one. And once you don’t have that identity, you’re kind of lost in a tailspin.
Rather than compromise, McDonough embraced morally complex roles that didn’t involve romance, particularly villains. He rebuilt his career by leaning into the only roles available to him: intense authority figures, soldiers, and bad guys.
Neal McDonough Initially Wanted to Be a Comedian
Despite being known for intense, commanding roles, McDonough originally came to Hollywood to pursue comedy. In an interview (via Comicbook), The Last Rodeo star said, “My goal was, I wanted to be Ted Knight.”
However, his appearance and presence led casting directors to typecast him.
They were like, ‘You’re very funny, but you look like a soldier, you look like an athlete… and after Walking Tall, ‘You look like you could be a great villain.’
Due to his refusal to perform romantic scenes, he was overlooked for traditional lead roles. So McDonough chose to focus on becoming the best villain of Hollywood he could be.
Neal McDonough’s Role Is Expanding as the Governor in Tulsa King Season 3
In Tulsa King Season 2, McDonough played Cal Thresher, a powerful and territorial businessman who clashed with Dwight Manfredi (Sylvester Stallone). However, the scores were settled when Dwight spared Thresher’s life and took over his marijuana growery.
In Tulsa King Season 3 Episode 2, The Fifty, Thresher is back, and he’s seen meeting Dwight for drinks. Now he’s ready to take the new position as the Governor of Oklahoma. McDonough pitched the idea himself to executive producer David Glasser. He told Collider:
We were with David Glasser [executive producer] last year, and everybody said, ‘Tell him your idea. Tell him your idea.’ I said, ‘David, I’d like to come back as the governor next year.’ He thought about it and said, ‘That’s a good idea.’ I didn’t hear anything for two months… and then I get the call, ‘Okay, you’re back in Tulsa King again this year. You’ll start in two weeks.’ I read the script, and on the first page: Cal Thresher becoming governor of the great state of Oklahoma.
This promotion transforms Thresher from a local threat into a political powerhouse. It may further complicate his relationship with Manfredi.
Neal McDonough lost work but embraced his villain roles and eventually rebuilt his career. And now he’s taking the center stage in Tulsa King season 3 as a political and criminal threat.
What do you think? Is Cal Thresher the most dangerous villain Dwight has faced yet? Let us know what you think.
Tulsa King Season 3 new episodes arrive every Sunday on Paramount+ (US).
