Neal was born in Toronto, but grew up in Seattle. He has been a lifelong Seattle Mariners and Seahawks fan, and before they were stolen away to Oklahoma City, he was a fan of the SuperSonics too. He attended the Shawnigan Lake School, the Idyllwild Arts Academy and the North Carolina School of the Arts. He is a distant relative of former NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe but is not related to Tempestt Bledsoe.