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About Neal McDonough
Neal McDonough has made a career out of being a character actor who plays morally questionable and antagonistic characters. With over 100 entries to his IMDB, he's played on and with some of the most highly recognisable movies and tv shows. From horror tv shows like Van Helsing to science fiction movies like Star Trek: First Contact.
And while it was hard to narrow down Neal's iconic career to a list of only 10 movies and tv shows, I decided to go for a mix of my favorites and the most iconic parts he's ever played. Here's hoping you recognized him in these movies and tv shows.
1. The Incredible Hulk Cartoon (1996-1997)
Neil McDonough has played a huge variety of characters. So much that it’s left many fans scratching their heads and asking “why hasn’t he appeared in the Marvel universe?” Well, he has. Several times in fact. Neil McDonough’s first Marvel appearance was the voice of The Incredible Hulk’s alter ego, Dr Bruce Banner, in the The Incredible Hulk cartoon which aired from 1996-1997 and included a short run of only 21 episodes before it was unceremoniously cancelled.
A role which saw him star alongside Lou Ferrigno who reprised his role as The Hulk by lending his voice talents to Bruce Banner’s alter ego. Which is also The Incredible Hulk’s alter ego… ok you get the idea.
2. Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
If you’re not a Star Trek fan then chances you’re going who the hell is "Lieutenant Hawk"? Better still, even if you are a Trekkie you’re probably still going to say to yourself “who the hell is Lieutenant Hawk?” Well, think back to the movie Star Trek: First Contact and then cast your memory to a young upstart Lieutenant who sits next to Data on the bridge.
Still can’t think of him? Ok, well how about the Starfleet Officer who gets turned into a Borg (that's Swedish for Cyborg Space Zombies) and tries to take out Captain Picard on the underside of the Enterprise? Yeah, that guy. Well, that was Neal McDonough.
3. Band of Brothers (2001)
Buck was a character in the Band of Brothers wartime TV mini-series played by Neal McDonough. Despite being a soldier, "Lynn D. 'Buck' Compton" was also an American jurist, police officer and Californian appeals judge who gained a certain level of notoriety for his role as prosecutor in Sirhan’s trial for the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. McDonough's ability to play complex characters is certainly capitalised on in his portrayal of Buck in Band of Brothers.
4. Walking Tall (2004)
Loosely based on a true story, Walking Tall is about former U.S. Special Forces Sergeant, Chris Vaughan, who upon returning to his hometown soon realised that his old high school nemesis, "Jay Hamilton" (played by Neal McDonough) is responsible for all of the crime and corruption sending the town on a downward spiral. What follows is a movie length siege of good guy vs bad guy and introduces the world to just how bad a villain Neal McDonough can be.
5. Desperate Housewives (2004-2012)
You think Desperate Housewives and you probably think to yourself how is an actor known for making a career out of playing antagonists ended up on this show? Well, believe it or not, he's a major antagonist who's first introduced in season 5 as Edie's third and last husband.
He arrives on Wisteria Lane with one plan in action: to avenge his former deceased family and the Housewives aren't going to be the same after Neal McDonough's "Dave Williams" is through with them.
6. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
While he's probably only on-screen in Captain America: The First Avenger for all of 20 mins (and that's being generous), Neal McDonough portrays a highly convincing "Timothy 'Dum Dum' Dugan" and member of the famous World War II squad of Howling Commandos. He fought alongside Captain America and Bucky Barnes on many missions and when Captain America was thought to have died he took over the command of the Howling Commandos.
Besides all that, he's one crazy son of a bitch who will take on any mission that's thrown at him!
7. Arrow (2012-2020)
Based on a comic book villain, "Damien Darhk" was once a member of the league of assassins. In the Arrow TV Show, Damien Darhk was the best friend of the late Ra’s al Ghoul and even held the title of “Heir of the Demon” before he betrayed Ra’s.
After escaping the League of Assassins and stealing some of the water from the Lazarus Pit, Damien Darhk formed his own version of the league called H.I.V.E. A group which was so deadly that they once lay siege on Star City. He was shortly killed after these events by Oliver Queen for killing the love of his life - Sara Lance.
Neal McDonough's portrayal of Damien Darhk is easily one of the most memorable bad guys from CW's Arrowverse slate of shows.
8. Suits (2011-2019)
Neal McDonough also ended up on the famous lawyer tv show Suits as "Sean Cahill." Initially an antagonist, Sean Cahill is prosecutor for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission who targets Pearson Specter at the suggestion of his friend and mentor, Eric Woodall. However, he soon finds out that Woodall is the corrupt one and swaps sides. From then on he becomes a recurring ally of main characters Harvey Specter and Mike Ross.
9. The 100 (2014-2020)
Neal McDonough plays "Anders", a morally questionable cult-leader character on the seventh season of The 100. Also known as the First Disciple who was the second in command to the Second Dawn leader, The Shepherd. A truly horrible human being who is eventually revealed to be the reason why the Earth is now an apocalyptic wasteland.
Anders was also one of the embryos. A human who was born from one of a thousand embryos stolen from the Second Dawn cult prior to their escape from earth during the Worldwide Nuclear holocaust as depicted and referenced throughout The 100 series.
10. Van Helsing (2016-2021)
Neal McDonough portrays human/vampire "Hansen" (also known as Willem) throughout the Van Helsing tv show. Hansen was the apprentice of Jacob Van Helsing prior to turning him into a Vampire who had an interest and curiosity in genetic engineering and so throughout history would work for factions of power which gave him the flexibility he needed to experiment on live human subjects. This even included working for the Nazis in World Was II.
Eventually it comes out that Hansen’s reason for experimenting on humans is to create a human-vampire hybrid strong enough to slay Dracula. Like most vampire characters, Hansen has superhuman strength but he also has the ability to shapeshift. Making him a very interesting addition to Vampire lore and the cast in Van Helsing.
What do you think of these Neal McDonough movies and tv shows?
Which character of Neal McDonough's is your ultimate favourite?
Let us know in the comments.