‘Yellowstone’ Star Neal McDonough Speaks Out on Playing Jesus in Controversial Fox Series

Actor Neal McDonough is proud to play Jesus, as he explained during an appearance on Fox & Friends to discuss his involvement in Fox Faith’s controversial series The Life of Jesus Podcast, a faith-based production featuring characters from the Bible. Hosted by Ainsley Earhardt,  the 52-episode podcast guides listeners through the life of Jesus Christ through celebrity voices.

The Yellowstone and Desperate Housewives alum told the morning show, “I’m not really a political person. I call myself a God-fearing American. I think there are tons and tons of people like that out there. So to be able to have a project that really talks about God. And 52 segments, a half-hour podcast — it’s a great tool for people to immerse themselves in the word of God. And I think that is something that is kind of lost nowadays.”

“It’s daunting to open up the Bible and say, ‘Where do I start? What do I do?,” said McDonough. “We make it easy. From Christmas all the way to Easter, you can listen to these amazing segments with fantastic voices: Malcolm McDowell, Julia Ormond, Sean Astin, Brian Cox…It’s really an all-star cast.”

It is the star-studded cast that made the podcast controversial, for after the initial announcement was made, boasting its lineup and their participation, several actors revealed they only learned their voices had been used in the project once the news went public. The revelation sparked immediate backlash and raised questions about consent.

According to a statement released to the press, it will feature “over 100 notable actors” voicing characters of the Bible, including Kristen Bell as Mary Magdalene, Sean Astin as Matthew, Brian Cox as the voice of God, Malcolm McDowell as Caiaphas, and John Rhys-Davies as the narrator, to name a few. However, upon announcement, Bell, Cox, and Rhys-Davies came forward to state that their voices were used without their knowledge, as the recordings originated from other projects for which Fox held ownership.

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In response, Fox issued the following statement: “Gulfstream Studios produced the Life of Jesus Podcast from The Truth and Life Dramatized Audio Bible, which was licensed by Fox News Audio, with full cooperation and participation by all the actors involved.”

But despite the controversy surrounding the podcast and its production, McDonough remained optimistic about the project and the message it aims to share. “To hear the word of God is always a great thing. So, here is a tool for people to easily access. So, thank you, Fox, for doing it. Especially during the Christmas time and the holidays.”

Fox Faith plans to roll out the series in four installments, each scheduled to align with key moments in the Christian calendar:

• November 30: The first 13 episodes debut to mark the start of Advent.
• December 21: An additional 13 episodes to be released during Christmas week.
• February 15: The third installment of 13 episodes arrives for Lent.
• March 29: The final 13 episodes premiere on Palm Sunday.