Actor Neal McDonough says he lost a job because he refused to do a sex scene

[Heladys]

Well yes but how many others aren't getting work because they might otherwise be great for a role but don't want to kiss. I think it's an important issue to consider, I am not sure an actor should lose a job for not wanting to kiss or be intimate.

It most certainly is not important. Not in any way.

If you don't want to do what the job requires you have self-selected yourself out of consideration, no different than an auto mechanic who refuses to touch oil, or a dishwasher who refuses to use soap, or a waitress who refuses to bathe.

[Shadowferal]

I don't think they can make him do a sex scene.

Likely that his agents write his contract that way.

[Doctor Amadeus]

a kiss is only "real" if you mean it. if you cant deal with the pure sight of your wife pressing her lips to another persons for a role, idk maybe grow up?

Hahaha there is nothing grown up about your loved one kissing someone they mean nothing to, and there is no story telling that compelling that would warrant such, I think you're the one that needs to grow up. When you make an investment in someone you "Love" you care about that kind of thing.

[TroubleInc]

I support firing actresses who refuse to do sex/nude scenes. If you can't perform for art, then go do the sciences.

[Mashanerz]

Doing a "sex scene" doesn't mean you're actually having sex with another person....I'm so confused by his premise.

"I'm an actor...but I can't do certain scenes because I'm not acting" is that his point?

Oh yikes, reading some of the responses, kinda got a bit of an incel vibe happening here.

[Valerossi]

I love how your spouse, hypothetical or not, has zero say in this.

Mall’s wife showing her input.

[solvexx]

Yes, of course.
If the script has a kiss scene, and the auditioning actor refuses to kiss, the script must be rewritten in order to accomodate his demands.
How is that even a question.

I don't agree. The job role is clear, actor auditioning knows this.

[PACOX]

What do you think, if you were an actor, would you refuse to do a Sex scene if you were married?

I think if youre going to marry an actor you should know their range. What they are willing to do and what they won't do. Then you can't get made if they take a particular role. If I was an actor I don't think getting married would change that eithe.r Either I would open to sex scenes or not. I'm an actor. Sex scenes arent real the same way fight scenes, murders, and whatever arent real. My job is pretend, not actually do. I wouldn't do sex scenes though. Honestly cant really think of a movie where they were needed (unless sex was like the pillar of the movie.

Also would you be ok with a spouse of someone you were in a long term relationship with doing a love scene if you were monogamist?

"Don't marry a stripper and expect her to stop dancing" All I really have to say about that.

Finally, Do you think if you believe Neal McDonough claim which I don't per say is it a kind of sexual harassment or exploitation similar to the end of last year Eliza Dushku coming forward about harassment she endured on the set of Bull?

Losing a job because you don't want to do a scene is not sexual harassment. Its a business decision backed by personal convictions...and its fine. They producer wants someone who can do a sex scene and you dont want to do it, then the role is not for you...period. Now its a bit different on a TV series because roles evole but at the end of the day its the same thing. Your job as an actor is to act out the role for your character. If you're not comfortable with the role, fine, but that role is no longer yours because you can no longer fulfil the job requirements.+


You're not obligated to a job if you don't agree with the job requirements. Nor should you force yourself to work under requirements you're not willing to put up with.

[Merie]

He should have just reassured his wife, "Don't worry, the sex isn't real."

[NihilSustinet]

Hahaha there is nothing grown up about your loved one kissing someone they mean nothing to, and there is no story telling that compelling that would warrant such, I think you're the one that needs to grow up. When you make an investment in someone you "Love" you care about that kind of thing.

You're a truly pitiful person.

[Celista]

Don't know who this actor is but this is pretty common among Christian/religious actors. Go check out Pureflix, it's all hugs and friendly pats on the shoulder between married actors there.

[XDurionX]

Very few jobs have a job description that is as precise and clear as that of actors. It's well within his rights to decline a job, but if he takes it, he cannot complain about what it entails.

[Phlegethon]

What do you think, if you were an actor, would you refuse to do a Sex scene if you were married?
Me personally I would refuse if I am married unless I got the Ok from my Wife.

Finally, Do you think if you believe Neal McDonough claim which I don't per say is it a kind of sexual harassment or exploitation similar to the end of last year Eliza Dushku coming forward about harassment she endured on the set of Bull?
.

coming forward about harassment she *supposedly* endured.
I fixed that.

It is part of the job, if you don't want to do it that's fine, if you are a big enough actor they'll get a double for it, if not, you'll have to fin another role.
I've wondered about it myself a lot, but as a spouse of an actor you know what happens on set and in movies, so you should be prepared for that.
Now ofcourse, that doesn't mean they go around and do porn all of a sudden

[Flarelaine]

And this is worth a thread because...?

[zenkai]

If he even refuses to do a kiss scene then he's a failure as an actor and should quit his acting career.

There are plenty of acting gigs that don't require kissing, and he's a pretty successful actor, so you're wrong.

[Alteiry]

Monogamy/monoamory is absolutely degenerate.

[Everwake]

If he doesn't want to do sex scenes, he doesn't have to. If the studio wants to hire someone else instead of him, they can. I don't see the problem, so long as both sides are aware of this limitation before hiring.

[Amerissis]

[B]What do you think, if you were an actor, would you refuse to do a Sex scene if you were married?

No, not because I was married. If I would do them before I got married, I would do them while married, too. It's your job as an actor, after all.

Also would you be ok with a spouse of someone you were in a long term relationship with doing a love scene if you were monogamist?

Of course. Also, many relationships form on sets without any love- or sex scenes, or kissing, so doing those scenes wouldn't matter.

Finally, Do you think if you believe Neal McDonough claim which I don't per say is it a kind of sexual harassment or exploitation similar to the end of last year Eliza Dushku coming forward about harassment she endured on the set of Bull?

I don't know the story about Eliza, but this isn't sexual harassment or exploitation. This is an actor refusing to do part of his job and he was fired for it. He didn't have to sleep with someone outside of his job to get a job.

I don't know if he was fired justly btw. Too many unknowns. If he knew he had to do sex scenes before he agreed and then refuses, he should be fired. If they added sex scenes later and knew he wouldn't do those, his employer was wrong. If they didn't know he doesn't do sex scenes, and they added them, and he refused, he should be fired, but it wouldn't be his fault.

I feel kissing and sex scenes are part of an actors job. You are allowed to refuse to do them, but not to whine about getting fired or not getting jobs because of it. You can't expect to get a role that involves these kind of scenes if you won't do them.

[Lochton]

What do you think, if you were an actor, would you refuse to do a Sex scene if you were married?
Me personally I would refuse if I am married unless I got the Ok from my Wife.

Also would you be ok with a spouse of someone you were in a long term relationship with doing a love scene if you were monogamist?

Nope, I would be livid if I wasn't told, and if I was told beforehand, I would be completely against it, fuck that 50 shades of gray bullshit with my wife

Finally, Do you think if you believe Neal McDonough claim which I don't per say is it a kind of sexual harassment or exploitation similar to the end of last year Eliza Dushku coming forward about harassment she endured on the set of Bull?

I think this is a double Standard if Neal's claim is true, I am not sure it totally is for sure, I think he likely didn't get rolls after for same Reason Eliza might not of, neither are great actors.

Well, if there is a sexualized scene in a movie for the role, I guess you would have to do it? I mean, I can't sign for an action movie and demand no guns.

[Xarkan]

Well, if there is a sexualized scene in a movie for the role, I guess you would have to do it? I mean, I can't sign for an action movie and demand no guns.

You can demand it

They can laugh at your demand