Joe Manganiello | |
|---|---|
 Manganiello in 2025 | |
| Born | Joseph Michael Manganiello (1976-12-28)December 28, 1976 (age 49) Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Citizenship |
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| Education | Carnegie Mellon University (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Spouse | |
| Partner | Caitlin O'Connor |
Joseph Michael Manganiello (/ˌmæŋɡəˈnɛloʊ/MANG-gə-NEL-oh;Italian:[maŋɡaˈnjɛllo],Neapolitan:[maŋɡaˈnjellə]; born December 28, 1976) is an American actor. His professional film career began when he playedFlash Thompson inSam Raimi'sSpider-Man. His breakout role was as werewolfAlcide Herveaux in five seasons of theHBO seriesTrue Blood.
He is also known for his roles in films such asMagic Mike,Magic Mike XXL,Pee-wee's Big Holiday,What to Expect When You're Expecting,Sabotage, andRampage. In late 2013, he became a published author when his first book,Evolution, was released bySimon & Schuster'sGallery Books.[1] His directorial debut came in 2014 with the documentary featureLa Bare, which he also produced and financed. He is also known for his role as Brad Morris inHow I Met Your Mother. He is active with several charities, primarilyUPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh for which he serves on the board of trustees. In 2016, he was cast asSlade Wilson / Deathstroke in theDC Extended Universe, making his first appearance in 2017'sJustice League.
Manganiello was born inPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Susan and Charles Manganiello.[2] His mother is ofArmenian,Croatian, andGerman descent.[3][4][5] Manganiello's father was born inMassachusetts outside ofBoston.[6] Joe Manganiello was raised inMt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, an affluent suburb of Pittsburgh bordering the city.[7]
In the February 7, 2023, episode ofPBS seriesFinding Your Roots, the researchers uncovered that Manganiello's legal paternal grandfather, Emilio Manganiello,[8] was not his biological grandfather, and that his biological great-grandparents were anAfrican-American man named William Henry Cutler and a white woman named Nellie Alton. His biological paternal grandfather was one of Cutler and Alton's three mixed-race African-American sons.[9][6] Using this information, researchers traced Manganiello's paternal lineage back to his great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, Plato Turner, an African slave who was freed beforeslavery wasabolished inMassachusetts and who went on to fight for theContinental Army during theAmerican Revolution.[6][8] Manganiello's maternal great-grandmother, Terviz "Rose" Darakjian,[9] was a survivor of theArmenian genocide, where her husband and seven of her children were killed. Darakjian's eighth child, an infant, drowned during Darakjian's escape across theEuphrates River.[6] Darakjian later encountered Karl Wilhelm Beutinger, aGerman soldier, in an internment camp for survivors. Rose became pregnant by him. Beutinger soon left to return to Germany. He resumed his life there with his German wife and children, and never saw Rose Darakjian again. Manganiello's grandmother is the child of Beutinger and Rose Darakjian.[9][6][10]
He has a younger brother, Nicholas. Raised Catholic, was a student at St. Bernard School, a Catholic elementary school in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania and then attendedMt. Lebanon High School, where he graduated with honors in 1995 and won the school's Great Alumni Award in 2011.[11][12][13][14][15] Growing up, he was the captain of hisfootball,basketball, andvolleyball teams and went on to play at the varsity level in all three sports.[11] He won the role ofJud Fry in his school's senior year production ofOklahoma! and was involved with the school's TV studio. He would borrow equipment in order to write and direct films with his friends, which eventually inspired him to begin studying acting.[14]
Manganiello suffered a series of sports injuries through high school, including a tornmedial collateral ligament while returning a kickoff in a varsity football game againstRinggold High School. The time off allowed Manganiello to reevaluate his future and so he decided to audition for theCarnegie Mellon School of Drama during his senior year. He was not accepted, so he enrolled at theUniversity of Pittsburgh and worked over the next year in the theater. He then reapplied to Carnegie Mellon a year later, and was awarded a scholarship, accepted into the acting program that year.[11] There he performed in theater productions and wrote, produced, and acted in a student film entitledOut of Courage 2: Out for Vengeance.[16] He graduated in 2000 with aBachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting.[14] He then traveled to New York City and Los Angeles through his university to participate in group auditions, which provided him contacts in the entertainment business including an agent, a manager, and a screen test for Sam Raimi'sSpider-Man.[17]
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While a student atCarnegie Mellon University, Manganiello appeared in numerous productions inPittsburgh's theatre scene, including Ulfheim inHenrik Ibsen'sWhen We Dead Awaken, Lorenzo in Shakespeare'sThe Merchant of Venice forQuantum Theatre, and Joe in the Pittsburgh premiere ofThe Last Night of Ballyhoo.[16] He moved to Los Angeles, California, after graduating from Carnegie Mellon.[17] He quickly signed with atalent agent, and three days later, he auditioned for the role ofPeter Parker in theSam Raimi-directed filmSpider-Man (2002). He landed the role ofEugene "Flash" Thompson, Peter Parker's nemesis in high school, as his first acting job out of college.[16] He reprised the role several years later, making a brief cameo inSpider-Man 3 (2007).[18]
Manganiello began finding work in television, playingTori Spelling's boyfriend onVH1'sSo Notorious in 2006, and guest starred onLas Vegas,Jake in Progress, andClose to Home. That year, he also playedJohn Leguizamo's Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor in the CBS television pilotEdison. In 2007, he appeared in theScrubs episode "My No Good Reason" and in theMyNetwork TV nighttime soap operaAmerican Heiress. He also played Officer Litchman, the love interest toLinda Cardellini's character, for a four-episode arc on NBC'sER. He returned to the stage playingThe Chick Magnet in May 2007 for the New York City premiere ofSkirts & Flirts, a monologue show byGloria Calderon Kellett, for which he was a finalist for HBO'sAspen Comedy Festival.[19] He then playedStanley Kowalski inA Streetcar Named Desire for the West Virginia Public Theatre in 2008,[20] directed by his former Carnegie Mellon professor Geoffrey Hitch.[19]
He starred as Leo Belraggio, a New York jazz musician, in theWest Coast premiere ofTerrence McNally'sUnusual Acts of Devotion in June 2009. The play was staged at theLa Jolla Playhouse at theUniversity of California, San Diego. The summer prior, Manganiello worked alongside McNally and directorLeonard Foglia to create the role at theOjai Playwrights Conference.[19] He played the lawyerBrad Morris on several seasons of theCBS comedyHow I Met Your Mother.[21] In 2008, he joined the cast ofThe CW dramaOne Tree Hill for its fifth season, playing bartender Owen Morello. He shot the series inWilmington, North Carolina, and returned for its sixth and seventh seasons.[22]
Manganiello played Stu on theFox sitcom'Til Death for two episodes, and starred in the short filmWounded that year,[23] which he originated on the stage and won Best Short Film at the 2011Big Island Film Festival.[citation needed] He starred in the direct-to-video war filmBehind Enemy Lines: Colombia in 2009 playing Lt. Sean Macklin, aNavy SEAL squad leader. In order to add authenticity to the production, he trained for several months with a former Navy SEAL, for whom he paid to come to the set and stay in the cast's hotel. The film was shot inPuerto Rico.[24] He appeared in an episode ofMedium in 2009, and has guest starred on all three series of CBS'sCSI television franchise (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,CSI: Miami, andCSI: NY). He had a role in the independent filmIrene in Time. In 2010, he appeared in television commercials forTaco Bell, promoting its new product.[11] He shot television pilots for100 Questions and thePittsburgh-set sitcomLivin' on a Prayer.[25][26]
In late 2009, Manganiello was cast as werewolfAlcide Herveaux in the third season ofHBO'sTrue Blood. His work on the show over the next five years would bring him both popular and critical recognition, including being voted The Favorite Pop-Culture Werewolf of All-Time by the readers of Entertainment Weekly Magazine, the 2011Scream Award for Breakout Performance – Male, as well as a shared award for Best Ensemble, aSaturn Award for Best Guest Starring Role in Television and aNewNowNext Award.[14]True Blood was his favorite television show before he joined the cast. He was originally brought in by casting for the role of Coot, another werewolf in the series, but was asked by the producers to read for Alcide instead.[27] He familiarized himself with the novels while growing out his hair and beard. He also trained twice a day for months to add muscle to match the description of the character in the books.[14] Manganiello also got a suntan to set himself apart from the vampires on the series and spent time studying live wolves.[28]
In early 2011, Manganiello was asked toscreen test for the title role ofSuperman inMan of Steel, for which he was rumored to be the front runner, but due to scheduling problems withTrue Blood, he was forced to drop out during the final stage. He toldAccess Hollywood in an interview: "They wanted me to screen test and they actually asked for my measurements for the suit and everything... their shoot date switched and it would have taken up 11 weeks out of myTrue Blood schedule. At the end of the day, we couldn't get the schedule to work... so, regrettably, I never got to screen test, I never got to put the suit on."[29]
Upon completion of filming for season four ofTrue Blood, he shot an episode ofUSA'sWhite Collar with his former drama school classmateMatt Bomer,[30] and then shot the film adaptation of the best-selling bookWhat to Expect When You're Expecting[31] before returning to Los Angeles to shoot an episode ofTwo and a Half Men withAshton Kutcher.[32]
Manganiello was cast as Big Dick Richie inSteven Soderbergh'sMagic Mike, the story of a male stripper inTampa,Florida, played by actorChanning Tatum.Magic Mike would go on to become a cultural and box office phenomenon spawning its 2015 sequelMagic Mike XXL.[33]
In betweenMagic Mike films and finishing out his last two seasons ofTrue Blood, Manganiello branched out in a multitude of different ways. He shotDavid Ayer'sSabotage with his childhood idolArnold Schwarzenegger, who would go on to become a friend and mentor to Manganiello,[34] penning the foreword to his bookEvolution which was released through Simon & Schuster's Gallery Books in the fall of 2013.[35][36] That autumn also saw Manganiello's return to the stage once again asStanley Kowalski inA Streetcar Named Desire but this time for the prestigiousYale Repertory Theater in New Haven, Connecticut.[37]
A few months later, Manganiello would take his documentary filmLa Bare, which he financed, directed, and produced under his new production company banner 3:59 with his brother Nick, to Park City, Utah, for theSlamdance Film Festival.[38] He received multiple offers from distributors in the lobby after the first screening and within 24 hours sold the International and Domestic rights, including sales toShowtime andNetflix. Manganiello was given the Triple Threat Award from the Maui International Film Festival later that year for his work on the film.[39]
In August 2016, test footage ofSlade Wilson/Deathstroke was posted to Twitter by writer/directorBen Affleck. A few weeks later,Geoff Johns, DC Comics' then President and CCO, who was tasked to co-write/co-produce the solo Batman film with Affleck, confirmed that Deathstroke would appear in the shared film universe, with Manganiello portraying the character.[40] In 2019, he was confirmed to appear in the Ben Affleck Batman film.[41] However, Affleck was asked to step down from the film and Manganiello's future as the character has remained uncertain ever since.
In 2017, Manganiello won an Emmy as the narrator of the documentaryPittsburgh is Home: The Story of the Penguins,[42] which documented the first 50 years of history of thePittsburgh Penguins hockey team.[43]
Over the years, Manganiello has worked extensively withDungeons & Dragons as a writer, official ambassador, and paid consultant. His characters, including Arkhan the Cruel, are a part of Dungeons & Dragons canon, appearing in adventure modules, video games, and in toy stores.[44] He has appeared in episodes ofThe Big Bang Theory,Nerd Poker,CelebriD&D,[45]Critical Role[46][47] and the web seriesForce Grey playing the game.[48] In 2017, Manganiello and John Cassel wrote a spec-script for a film adaptation of the firstDragonlance novel for Warner Brothers.[49] In 2018, he launched the company Death Saves which produces fantasy/heavy-metal themedstreetwear as well as a range of high end jewelry, clothing and gaming accessories. Over the years, the company has created officially licensed products for the television seriesGame of Thrones andThe Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, the indie horror filmMandy,Dungeons & Dragons, and at one point had full reign over the catalog of the late fantasy painter,Frank Frazetta.[50][51][52][53]
He worked as a game designer forHasbro's remake of theadventure board gameHeroQuest to write a quest book as a stretch goal in 2020.[54] Although the stretch goal was not reached, he later announced he worked with Hasbro to have the quest book and additional game pieces included anyway.[55]
In October 2022, Hasbro'seOne announced that Manganiello had been tapped to direct and produce the first, official documentary about the history ofDungeons & Dragons, along with co-directorKyle Newman and his brother and producing partner Nick under their 3:59 banner, to be timed to release during the 50th anniversary of the game in 2024.[56][57]
Manganiello is a lifelong fan of thePittsburgh Steelers. He directed and produced the 2007 short documentaryDieHardz about Steelers fans who meet up at bars inLos Angeles, California.[11] He is also aPittsburgh Penguins fan and hosted the 2017 NHL Awards and the2017 NHL expansion draft.[58]
He was once aroadie for the bandGoldfinger and is friends with lead singerJohn Feldmann; he toured internationally with the group as a member of their security.[27]
He became engaged to actressSofía Vergara on Christmas Eve 2014 after six months of dating.[59] They married inPalm Beach, Florida, on November 22, 2015.[60][61] On July 17, 2023, Manganiello and Vergara announced toPage Six that they had separated and were planning to divorce after seven years of marriage.[62] The divorce was finalized in February 2024.[63]
Since September 2023, he has been in a relationship withCaitlin O'Connor.[64][65] In December 2025, the couple moved fromLos Angeles, California toPittsburgh, Pennsylvania where they both grew up.[66]
He is a longtime practitioner ofTranscendental Meditation and learned at theDavid Lynch Foundation center in Los Angeles.[67]
In October 2022, he was granted Italian citizenship through his paternal grandmother'sSicilian ancestry.[68][5]
He is an advocate for Armenian causes, and serves on theboard of directors forChildren of Armenia Fund.[69] In 2025, he joined theArmenian Assembly of America's Advocacy Summit inWashington, D.C., and was akeynote speaker at theUnited States Congress'Armenian Genocide commemoration.[70]
OnThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Manganiello said aphlebotomist, who had worked forNASA, encouraged him to consumeaspartame and red meat, as part of a fitness regimen.[71]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Out of Courage 2: Out for Vengeance | Ruslan Zmeyev / Writer / Producer | Short film |
| Spider-Man | Flash Thompson | ||
| 2007 | Spider-Man 3 | Cameo | |
| 2008 | Impact Point | Matt Cooper | |
| Wounded | Patient | Short film | |
| 2009 | Not Evelyn Cho | Ryan | Short film |
| Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia | Lieutenant Sean Macklin | ||
| Irene in Time | Charlie | ||
| 2011 | The Girl With the Tramp Stamp Tattoo | Mikael Blomkvist | Short film |
| 2012 | What to Expect When You're Expecting | Davis | |
| Magic Mike | Big Dick Richie | ||
| 2014 | Sabotage | DEA Agent Joe "Grinder" Phillips | |
| 2015 | Knight of Cups | Joe | |
| Tumbledown | Curtis | ||
| Magic Mike XXL | Big Dick Richie | ||
| 2016 | Pee-wee's Big Holiday | Himself | |
| 2017 | Smurfs: The Lost Village | Hefty Smurf (voice) | |
| Justice League | Slade Wilson / Deathstroke | Uncredited cameo | |
| 2018 | Rampage | Burke | |
| 2019 | Drunk Parents | Bob Donnelly | |
| Bottom of the 9th | Sonny Stano | Also producer | |
| Jay and Silent Bob Reboot | Bailiff | ||
| 2020 | The Sleepover | Leo | |
| Archenemy | Max Fist | ||
| 2021 | Shoplifters of the World | Mickey "Full Metal Mickey" | Also producer |
| Zack Snyder's Justice League | Slade Wilson / Deathstroke | Uncredited cameo | |
| The Spine of Night | Mongrel | ||
| Koati | Balam (voice) | ||
| 2022 | Metal Lords | Dr. Troy Nix | |
| 2023 | Magic Mike's Last Dance | Big Dick Richie | Cameo[72] |
| The Kill Room | Reggie | ||
| 2025 | Nonnas | Bruno |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Jake in Progress | Rick Cavanaugh | Episode: "Notting Hell" |
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Tom Harper | Episode: "Daddy's Little Girl" | |
| Las Vegas | Carson Stuart | Episode: "Urban Legend" | |
| Close to Home | James Miller | Episode: "Escape" | |
| So Notorious | Scott | Recurring role, 2 episodes | |
| A.K.A. | Brian | Television film | |
| 2006–2012 | How I Met Your Mother | Brad Morris | Recurring role, 7 episodes |
| 2007 | Scrubs | Chad Miller | Episode: "My No Good Reason" |
| American Heiress | Solomon Cortez | Main cast, 64 episodes | |
| ER | Officer Litchman | Recurring role, 4 episodes | |
| 2008 | I Love the New Millennium | Himself | Episode: "2000" |
| 2008–2010 | 'Til Death | Stu | Recurring role, 2 episodes |
| One Tree Hill | Owen Morello | Recurring role, 13 episodes | |
| 2009 | CSI: Miami | Tony Ramirez | Episode: "Target Specific" |
| Medium | Angelo Filipelli | Episode: "Once in a Lifetime" | |
| 2010 | CSI: NY | Rob Meyers | Episode: "Criminal Justice" |
| 100 Questions | Rick | Episode: "What Brought You Here?" | |
| Livin' on a Prayer | Doug | Unaired pilot | |
| 2010–2014 | True Blood | Alcide Herveaux | Main cast (42 episodes) |
| 2010, 2014 | WWE Raw | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2011 | Two and a Half Men | Alex | Episode: "The Squat and the Hover" |
| 2012 | White Collar | Ben Ryan | Episode: "Neighborhood Watch" |
| 2013 | Talking Dead | Himself | Episode #2.10 |
| 2014 | Ink Master: Rivals | Himself | Guest Judge; Episode: "Pin-Up Pitfalls"" |
| 2015–2016 | Blaze and the Monster Machines | Fire Chief (Voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2016 | Mom | Julian | Episode: "Cinderella and a Drunk MacGyver" |
| 2018 | The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale | Himself | Recurring role, 2 episodes |
| No Activity | Dugan | 2 episodes ("By the Siege Side" and "Operation Meat Puppet") | |
| 2019 | One Day at a Time | Nick | Episode: "Drinking and Driving" |
| The Big Bang Theory | Himself | Episode: "The D&D Vortex" | |
| Daybreak | Karl Pokaski | Episode: "5318008" | |
| Star Wars Resistance | Ax Tagrin (voice) | 2 episodes | |
| 2021 | A.P. Bio | Malachi | Episode: "Malachi" |
| 2021–2025 | Big City Greens | Viper Fang (voice) | 4 episodes |
| 2022 | Bubble Guppies | Coldsnap (voice) | Episode: "Winter Sports Chompetition!" |
| Love, Death & Robots | Coulthard (voice) | Episode: "In Vaulted Halls Entombed" | |
| Moonhaven | Tomm Schultz | 6 episodes | |
| Mythic Quest | Himself | 2 episodes | |
| 2024–2025 | Deal or No Deal Island | Himself | Host |
| 2026 | One Piece† | Mr. 0 | Season 2; Filming |
| TBA | Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas† | Rose (voice) |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Force Grey: Lost City of Omu | Himself / Arkhan The Cruel | Main cast, 18 episodes[48] |
| Critical Role (campaign one) | Himself / Arkhan The Cruel | 2 episodes ("The Final Ascent" and "Vecna, the Ascended")[46][47] | |
| 2018 | Spellslingers | Himself | 1 episode |
| 2018–2019 | The Angel of Vine | Hank Briggs | Series regular, 10 episodes |
| 2020 | Good Mythical Morning | Himself | Episodes: "What Mask Am I Wearing? (GAME)" |
| Year | Title | Roles | Awards/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | La Bare | Director, Producer, Financier | Winner - Triple Threat Award - Maui International Film Festival |
| TBA | Untitled Dungeons & Dragons documentary† | Director, Producer | In production[56][57] |
| Year | Group | Award | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | NewNowNext Awards | 'Cause You're Hot | True Blood | Won[73] |
| Saturn Award | Best Guest Starring Role in Television | Won[74] | ||
| Scream Award | Breakout Performance – Male | Won[74] | ||
| Best Ensemble | Won[74] | |||
| 2012 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Breakout: Male | What To Expect When You're Expecting | Nominated[74] |
| 2013 | MTV Movie Awards | Best Musical Moment | Magic Mike | Nominated[74] |
| 2014 | Maui Film Festival | Triple Threat Award (Directing, Producing, Acting) | La Bare | Won[75] |
| 2017 | Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards | Narrator - Sports Program One-Time Special | Pittsburgh is Home: The Story of the Penguins | Won[74] |
| 2025 | San Diego International Film Festival | Spotlight Award | Lifetime Achievement | Honored[76] |
