• Faith: Spirituality
• Career: Actor
• Birthday:  December 28, 1976

Joe Manganiello was born on December 28, 1976, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and has built a career as one of Hollywood's most recognizable actors. Best known for his roles in True Blood, the Magic Mike films, and as Deathstroke in the DC Extended Universe, Manganiello has also worked as a producer, director, author, and television host.

Raised in the Pittsburgh suburb of Mount Lebanon, Manganiello is the son of Susan and Charles Manganiello. His father is of Italian descent, while his mother has Armenian, Austrian, and Croatian ancestry. Growing up, he was an active athlete, participating in football, basketball, volleyball, and baseball. He also discovered a passion for performing, appearing in school plays and musicals. He graduated from Mount Lebanon High School in 1995 and later earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting from Carnegie Mellon University's School of Drama in 2000.

Shortly after graduating, Manganiello moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting. His first major film role came in 2002 when he portrayed Flash Thompson in Spider-Man, directed by Sam Raimi. He went on to appear in series including ER, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, How I Met Your Mother, One Tree Hill, and Scrubs.

In 2010, Manganiello was cast as werewolf Alcide Herveaux on HBO's True Blood. Originally introduced as a recurring character, he became a series regular as the role grew in popularity. His work on the series helped make him one of television's most recognizable actors and opened the door to larger film roles.

His career continued with the Magic Mike franchise, where he played fan-favorite stripper Big Dick Richie alongside Channing Tatum. He later appeared in films such as Sabotage, Rampage, and Justice League, portraying the DC Comics villain Deathstroke. Beyond acting, he directed the documentary La Bare, wrote the fitness book Evolution, and became known for his enthusiasm for fantasy storytelling and Dungeons & Dragons.

Manganiello's personal life has also drawn public attention. He married actress Sofía Vergara in November 2015 after a highly publicized romance. The couple became one of Hollywood's most recognizable pairs, but in July 2023, they announced their separation after nearly eight years of marriage. Their divorce was finalized later that year. Following the end of his marriage, Manganiello began a relationship with actress Caitlin O'Connor.

Away from entertainment, Manganiello has supported charitable causes connected to children's hospitals, military veterans, and cancer research. He has also used his platform to celebrate comic books, fantasy literature, and gaming, interests that have shaped both his public image and several creative projects.

Joe Manganiello's Religious Beliefs

Joe Manganiello was raised in a devout Roman Catholic household, where faith formed an important part of his early life. Over time, however, his spiritual beliefs changed as he faced a severe seven-year health crisis involving autoimmune issues and chronic pain.

Frustrated by the lack of clear answers from traditional medicine, Manganiello began exploring a more unorthodox path toward healing. His search included shamans, pagan rituals, ancient myths, and a deeper connection to his Armenian ancestry. Rather than describing this as a rejection of spirituality, he has framed it as a spiritual rebirth.

A major part of that rebirth came through learning more about his Armenian heritage, especially the story of his great-grandmother, who survived the Armenian genocide. Her resilience helped him connect his personal suffering to a larger family history of survival, identity, and inherited strength.

Manganiello explores these themes in his memoir, Bloodlines, where he writes about illness, ancestry, healing, and belief. His current spiritual outlook appears broader than the Catholic faith of his childhood, blending personal healing, ancestral memory, mythology, and a continued search for deeper meaning.