Neal McDonough Says Hollywood ‘Lost Its Way’ but His New Film Seeks to Bring it Back
Actor Neal McDonough says his latest film is a story about the American heartland -- made for the heartland -- while rooted in the faith, family, and work ethic his parents passed down to him. The movie is Angel Studios' The Last Rodeo (PG), which follows a retired bull-riding champion named Joe Wainwright (McDonough) who returns to the arena for one final ride to raise money following a family tragedy. Through it all, Wainwright confronts past traumas and rekindles his own faith. It opens this weekend.
McDonough's own independent production company, The McDonough Company, produced it.
"Hollywood's kind of lost its way a bit with -- and I'm guilty of it myself, being part of some pretty dark films at times -- I think they forgot to talk about what America really is and the values that America has in the films that they make. And we want to get back to that," he told Crosswalk Headlines.
"And I think we did."
McDonough is known to many film fans for his roles as tough-nosed military men and law enforcement officers in such movies as Captain America: The First Avenger, Flags of Our Fathers and Minority Report. He's also portrayed his share of bad guys. Yet in recent years, McDonough has starred in and produced more family-centric content, such as Homestead and The Shift, both released by Angel.
The idea for The Last Rodeo first came to McDonough while he was on the set of The Warrant: Breaker's Law.
"I'm fairly certain that God planted the idea in my head," he said. "I've never been to a rodeo. I've never seen a rodeo. I've been riding horses since I was a little kid, but never anything on a bull. And within 24 hours, I had voice-dictated, basically the outline of the whole film. It just spewed out of me.
"I called my writing partner, Derek Presley, and then we started on a draft, and within a week we had our first draft, and within a week after that, we had the financing. This was God's divine intervention all over the place."
Jon Avnet (Fried Green Tomatoes) co-wrote and directed it.
The film "preaches to the heartland of America -- what American values are, what we all aspire to," McDonough said.
For McDonough, those values are deeply personal.
"My parents came over from Ireland," he told Crosswalk Headlines. "My dad came over from Ireland, got off the boat with 12 bucks in his pocket, walked straight in the Army office and said, 'Make me an American.' And they shipped him overseas for seven years. And after that, he came back the proudest American, and because of that, he instilled the values of America into all of his kids. And I don't take that lightly. So to be a first-generation American, knowing what it was like to come from immigrant parents, and to write to that, and to understand what really the core values of America are, we're making films that speak to that. And I'm the most blessed guy when you think about where I've been, the things that I've gone through, and where I am now on the other side, making films that give glory to God."
The Last Rode is rated PG for thematic elements, language and violence.
Photo Credit: ©Angel Studios
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published May 21, 2025.
