Five Things To Know About 'Magic Mike' And ?True Blood? Star Joe Manganiello

Can't get enough of True Blood star Joe Manganiello?

Don't worry, there's plenty of him to go around right now. Not only does he star as (hot) werewolf Alcide Herveaux on the popular HBO series, he also stars as Big Dick Richie (yep, that's his nickname) in the Steven Soderbergh film Magic Mike.

In the film, he dresses up as a fireman at one point (thereby embodying just about every straight woman's fantasy) and even does poses onstage while covered in gold body paint, making him look like some sort of Greek god.

But there is more to Manganiello than his chiseled body and six-pack abs. Here are five things you may not have known about the hunky actor.

He Looks Familiar

If you're feeling a sense of déjà vu that has nothing to do with True Blood, you're on track. Manganiello has an extensive body of television work.

He had recurring roles on One Tree Hill, playing the love interest of Sophia Bush's character, and How I Met Your Mother. He also appeared in an episode of Scrubs, CSI: NY, CSI: Miami and Two and a Half Men. His film roles include Flash Thompson in Spider-Man 3 and Davis in the recently released What to Expect When You're Expecting.

He Hails From Pittsburgh

Manganiello was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pa. He played sports in high school and graduated from Carnegie Mellon University (he spent his first year of college at the University of Pittsburgh, according to a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette report).

He decided to try out acting in high school. His first stage role was in a production of Oklahoma, according to an Access Hollywood report. Manganiello thought his old football coach would give him a hard time for acting, but his reaction was quite the opposite.

Honestly, after he came and saw the show, he grabbed me in the hall, and I thought he was gonna make fun of me, Manganiello told Access Hollywood. He didn't. He said, 'I thought you were really great. I was wrong about you.'

He Used To Be a Bodyguard

One of Manganiello's odd jobs while trying to break into showbiz was as a bodyguard for singer and actor Tyrese Gibson, according to a Daily Beast report. This totally makes sense (have you seen those muscles?). He can guard our bodies any time.

You See (Almost) Everything In 'Magic Mike'

Audience members get to (kind of) see his man stuff in the film. His character's pre-stripper show preparation includes using a penis pump to enhance his manly assets.

We get a shot of this in the film, although it comes out kind of dark, and we see it again when he's on stage (this time in silhouette, as he's dancing behind a screen).

But baring all isn't exactly new territory for the actor. His True Blood character, werewolf Alcide Herveaux, gives viewers a lot to consider.

Manganiello revealed in an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette the intricate shape wear he must don for the HBO show.

You get into your trailer in the morning, and there's a sock with a drawstring, and then there's a flesh-colored thing with a plastic thong back, and the third choice is like this man-panty thing called 'the manty' that reduces you to a Ken doll, he told the newspaper in March. Depending on the angle of the shot, it determines which one you can use.

He Really gets Into A Role -- And Sometimes Gets Carried Away

He was filming a strip club scene -- for which his body was painted gold and he struck famous poses, including the Thinker -- but since Soderbergh didn't yell Cut! and the music kept on playing, Manganiello just kept on gyrating and grinding on the very lucky female movie extras.

I didn't get painted gold for an hour for nothing, he told Entertainment Weekly.

According to Manganiello, Soderbergh didn't seem to mind and kept the music on for approximately five minutes, so Manganiello, ever the professional, just kept on dancing for the women, who were getting increasingly enthusiastic.

It just went on and on and on, he told EW. And I just mauled this floor of women, just one after another.