Joe Manganiello: True Blood nudity is sensible

Joe Manganiello says showing off his bare butt on True Blood “makes sense”.

The 35-year-old hunk plays werewolf Alcide Herveaux in the popular US television show. He has no problem stripping off in front of the cameras for certain scenes, insisting it is necessary to his shape shifting role.

“As far as the butt cheeks stuff goes… it just makes sense,” he told Out magazine. “If you’re a werewolf and you transform, you lose everything and there are your butt cheeks. The show is a deconstruction of supernatural creatures. It’s not like other werewolf projects, where you magically reappear with tiny jean shorts on.”

The fifth season of True Blood – also starring Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer – is set to hit screens in America later this year.

Joe loves playing Alcide and the naturally athletic star believes he has a lot in common with the character.

“It utilises each part of my eclectic personality,” he explained. “There’s the kid who loves monsters, and I can be athletic, but I also love history and I can research wolves and Southern dialects. The dialogue is so rich - it’s Tennessee Williams with Chekhovian layers - and that fulfils my bookwormy playwright side. I’m so fortunate. Plus, I get to have a beard all the time.”