Joe Manganiello has had the sort of long and successful career that most actors could only dream of. Hired for a small but impactful role in the 2002 Spider-Man film, he’s gone from strength to strength since. This includes a string of leading man appearances on both the small and big screen, as well as smaller but no less well acted performances across film and television. With such a long filmography, it might seem difficult to figure out what his best watches are, but we’re willing to put the work in! Read on for the 10 best Joe Manganiello movies and TV shows!
How I Met Your Mother
This hit sitcom might have ended on a sour note thanks to one of the most despised final episodes in recent television history, but throughout its run it was incredibly popular. Manganiello appeared in multiple episodes in four of the show’s 9 seasons, taking on the role of Brad, one of Marshall’s former law school buddies. He was involved in a few important plotlines, but if we’re honest was mostly there to get topless. Despite the writers and director focuing on his physical gifts, he’s always a funny presence when he appears on the show.
The Sleepover
This family-friendly Netflix original starring Sadie Stanley might be a bit cheesy and formulaic in parts, but a number of good performances and a generally solid script make for a rompish watch that’s perfect for when you have to entertain younger viewers. Manganiello plays the movie’s villain, the head of a crime syndicate who is looking to take revenge on his ex-fiancé and literal former partner in crime (Malin Åkerman) for snitching. Although he’s not the main focus of this film, he does a great job in his role, leaning into the outlandish plot.
True Blood
Let’s be honest: while True Blood was an engaging show at times, stitched together by some great performances, its real appeal is its sex appeal. The hit show about vampires gave us stars like Alexander Skarsgård, but it was also Manganiello’s real breakthrough. He entered the show in its third season as Alcide (who was also introduced in the third book in the series on which the show is based), and quickly became a love interest for Sookie. They did eventually end up together, but he was killed off in the show’s final season while trying to protect Sookie from malevolent forces.
Magic Mike
The raunchy yet surprisingly heartfelt (in parts, anyway) phenomenon that is Magic Mike is now playing as a musical on London’s West End, something the original makers probably didn’t have planned. The film about a part-time male stripper with dreams of making furniture was a big hit for many reasons, but chief among them was Manganiello and co.’s excellently choreographed moves. And, who could forget that classic Backstreet Boys scene? Not one to watch with the young ones, but definitely an iconic film for all the right reasons.
One Tree Hill
Manganiello took on the part of Owen Morello in this beloved high school drama series set in the fictional town of Tree Hill. He actually first appeared in season 5, when the showrunners had made the choice to move the main cast out of the high school by pushing the timeline forward four years. This is why his character was a womanizing, drug-using bartender who nearly ended up with Brooke, before ruining it for himself by cowering from the prospect of fatherhood, before sleeping with Millicent. Yet, despite this, he made us feel for Owen with his emotive performance.
Pee-wee’s Big Holiday
Not every actor who plays a fictionalized version of themselves has the charm or self awareness to pull it off, but Manganiello does so wonderfully in this modern-day reboot of the Paul Reubens’ Pee-wee franchise. In the film, Manganiello convinces Pee-wee to leave Fairville and see the world via a long trip, which will end with Pee-wee attending Manganiello’s birthday party in New York. Their friendship, although obviously silly in a lot of ways, is also incredibly sweet. You might even find yourself shedding a tear during the final few scenes.
Rampage
We don’t like to judge people’s viewing habits here, and frankly we love a good old fashioned action film as much as an indie thinker. If that describes you, then Rampage will be right up your street. The movie follows a former special forces soldier (Dwayne Johnson) and his mutated gorilla pal as they attempt to stop a gigantic mutated crocodile and wolf from smashing their way through America. Yes, you read that right, and yes it’s as amazing as it is dumb. Manganiello is brilliant in his role as Burke, a private military commander who cares more about getting his way than stopping the gigantic creatures from destroying Chicago.
What to Expect When You’re Expecting
This ensemble romantic comedy based loosely on one of the most popular pregnancy books of all time might fall into genre tropes a little too easily, but some charming performances by its brilliant cast help to turn it into a fun watch. The movie follows five couples who have recently found out they’re going to have kids. Manganiello plays Davis, the jet-setting playboy photographer who makes all the other dads in a father support group envious.
Sabotage
Manganiello got the chance to work with Arnie in this 2012 action thriller that’s loosely (and we mean that) based on And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. Like the famous book, the film follows a group of people being knocked off after they committed an immoral act that they got away with. Unlike the novel, though, the setting isn’t a creepy mansion on an island, and the characters aren’t from British society. Instead, it follows a DEA team whose members stole money during a cartel raid, and are now being picked off one by one. Manganiello takes on the part of Grinder, one of the DEA agents caught up in the crime, and balances the action with a genuinly engaging performance.
The Kill Room
This 2023 dark comedy has a stellar cast alongside Manganiello, including Uma Thurman and Samuel L. Jackson. The Magic Mike star plays an assassin who accidentally becomes a famous artist thanks to a money-laundering scheme that involves his boss (Jackson) and a famous art dealer (Thurman). Funny, smart, and full of great performances, including Manganiello’s.
