On what his biggest inspiration was for diving into acting:
“There was a cascade of events that led to my pursuit. My mother took me to see a production of the Hobbit with puppets, as a kid, and I remember being absolutely enthralled but I didn’t want to be an actor until later in life. I remember vividly this sense in my gut that this was what I was supposed to do. I also had a high school theater teacher that saw something in me and kept bugging me to try out for the senior musical, and so I did and I got the part. That gut feeling then led me to try out for one of the toughest drama schools in the world and I ended up getting accepted with a scholarship. The moral: trust your gut.”
On what experiences have made him stronger:
“Quitting drinking and smoking have been the two biggest turning points of my entire life.”
On whether he has read / reads any of the books in Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire Mysteries:
“I read each coinciding book before each season in an effort to get inside the writers’ heads. I wear the books like a loose jacket.”
On whether he has any rituals for prepping for his role on True Blood:
“I get in the gym and bust my ass. I don’t really have any body hair to groom … if that’s what you’re asking.”
On his feelings for Alan Ball:
“Alan is a genius. I trust his judgment implicitly and I give everything I have to my job, which is playing Alcide. Alan and the writers give me the situation and what I’m going to say and then I put my stink on it.”
To read the interview in its entirety, please click here.
Source: DA MAN magazine – Exclusive: Joe Manganiello of “True Blood”
Photo credit: Mitchell Nguyen McCormack