The Press Association: Joe 'piece of meat' in True Blood

The Press Association: Joe 'piece of meat' in True Blood Image Joe 'piece of meat' in True Blood

(UKPA)–Sep 24, 2011

Joe Manganiello is OK with being the "piece of meat" in True Blood.

The 34-year-old and 6ft 5in tall actor plays werewolf Alcide Herveaux in the bloodsucking series, which also stars Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer, and he is only too aware his appearance is a big part of the reason he landed the role.

"As soon as I started reading the scripts and saw the way my character was described, I thought, 'Man, I'm definitely going to be the piece of meat on this show'," he said.

He went on: The first time I had to transform into a wolf, I was naked. I went to the costume department for the episode and realised there was no costume!

"But that's the process of the show, it's 110 per cent. You look at the script and think, 'They want me to do what? This is insane!' And then you throw yourself into it."

Joe trained for five months with Hugh Jackman's personal trainer for the first X Men movie, to get the right physique.

Although he was sporty growing up, the Pittsburgh-born actor never fitted in with the school jocks because of his sensitive side.

"The athletes were dumb and the artists hung out on street corners, wearing Slayer T-shirts and smoking. I was somewhere in this limbo place between."

:: True Blood series three is on Channel 4 on Tuesdays.

The Press Association: Joe 'piece of meat' in True Blood