Neal McDonough Admits He’s Never Watched “Yellowstone: ”‘Too Painful’

Yamillah HurtadoFri, October 2, 2026 at 5:50 PM UTC

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Neal McDonough as Malcolm Beck in ‘Yellowstone’Credit: Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock -

Neal McDonough admits he has never seen Yellowstone and reveals why

“It’s too hard because when I really immerse myself into a character, I’ll go back to him,” he said in his Wednesday, Sept. 30, appearance on the Arroyo Grande podcast

McDonough played Malcolm Beck, the ruthless real estate mogul in Yellowstone

Neal McDonough takes method acting to a whole new level.

The Yellowstone actor, 60, starred as real estate mogul Malcolm Beck in Taylor Sheridan‘s hit series. Though McDonough portrayed one of the more cold-blooded villains in the Yellowstone universe, he admits he’s never tuned in to the show. In fact, he’s never seen any of his projects.

During his appearance on the Arroyo Grande with Raymond Arroyo podcast on Wednesday, Sept. 30, McDonough opened up about playing the villains and how, as a method actor, that impacts his state of mind.

“I don’t watch any of my stuff at all,” the Tulsa King star said. “No, because it’s too painful. It’s too hard because when I really immerse myself into a character, I’ll go back to him.”

Kevin Costner and Neal McDonough in ‘Yellowstone’Credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount Network

As a method actor, McDonough explained that if he were to watch his previous work, he can pinpoint exactly what he was thinking while filming a specific scene. “So going back, to me, sometimes can be really traumatic and painful,” he said. “But, as an artist, that’s what you live for.”

“You want to find out who you really are, what you’re really about, what makes you tick,” McDonough continued. “Sometimes when I play a really dark character, I have to go to a spot [and have to] think of things that you would never possibly want to think of unless you had an analyst next to you talking you through it.”

“Well, as an actor, you don’t have that analyst talking you through it,” he said.

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McDonough shared that his wife, Ruvé McDonough, and their kids help him return to himself when playing a dark role.

“The thing that gets me out of it every single time is, I see my wife Ruvé’s face, and then I see the five kids,” he said. “Then, all of a sudden, I’m back to Neil McDonough again.”

Asked if he ever wants to see the final cut of a project, McDonough said, “I was there on the day [it was filmed]. I know I did a great job because God gave me a talent… So I don’t need to look to see if it was good or not. I think I did [good].”

He added, “They keep hiring me, right? If they keep hiring, I must be doing something right.”

Neal McDonough as Malcolm Beck in ‘Yellowstone’Credit: Paramount Network

Malcolm Beck met his end in the Yellowstone season 2 finale, when John Dutton shot him down. Or so fans thought. In July 2025, McDonough spoke to Collider and revealed he thinks his character is still alive and would love to see him return in another Yellowstone spinoff.

“Yes, Malcolm Beck is not dead,” McDonough told the outlet. “No one saw him actually die in the field. I would love to see him come back and cause havoc with Rip because Cole Hauser was one of my dearest pals, and there’s nothing I would love more than to go toe to toe with Cole on the show. So, I’m open for that one.

“Everyone’s got to write in to Taylor saying, ‘Bring Malcolm Beck back,’ ” he joked.

Yellowstone is available to stream on Peacock.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”