Joe Manganiello

Born December 28, 1976, Joe Manganiello is perhaps best-known for his role as werewolf Alcide Herveaux on True Blood.

As a high school student, the Pennsylvania native starred in Oklahoma! and was a member of the football, basketball and volleyball teams. After sustaining a football injury during his senior year, Manganiello auditioned for the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. Rejected, he enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh; he reapplied to Carnegie Mellon and was admitted the following year.

Shortly after graduating, he moved to L.A. and scored a minor role in Spider-Man, as well as the short-lived TV series So NoTorious, where he played Tori Spelling‘s love interest. He also guest-starred on Las Vegas, Jake in Progress, Close to Home and ER.

He later appeared on How I Met Your Mother and One Tree Hill before landing a role on HBO’s hit vampire drama True Blood.