He won us over as Owen the bartender on the CW series One Tree Hill and in his recurring role as the law-school buddy of Marshall (played by Jason Segel) on CBS’ cult hit How I Met Your Mother. But it’s Joe Manganiello’s latest part that has fans howling with delight. If you’re one of the few who hasn’t already, set your DVR for the third season of HBO’s True Blood, premiering in June, in which he takes on the role of werewolf Alcide Herveaux (rumored to be a new love interest for Anna Paquin’s Sookie Stackhouse character).
Manganiello, 33, nabbed the role after fans of Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire Series books—which True Blood is based on—began speculating online who would be the perfect fit for the character. Manganiello emerged as the popular choice and caught the executive producer’s eye shortly after. “I think the fans are going to go nuts,” he says. “My jaw drops every time I read a new script.”
