True Blood fans, it’s the casting news you’ve been waiting for…
Joe Manganiello, best known for playing barkeep Owen on One Tree Hill and Marshall’s law school chum Brad on How I Met Your Mother, has landed season 3′s most important new role: Sookie’s werewolf crush, Alcide Herveaux.
If Alan Ball follows Charlaine Harris’ books, Eric will summon Alcide — described in casting breakdowns as good-looking, rough-around-the-edges, articulate, heroic, and decent — to assist Sookie in her search for Bill.
Still to be cast: Alcide’s on-again, off-again psycho girlfriend Debbie Pelt.
Thoughts? Pleased with Alan Ball’s pick? Surprised he didn’t go with a bigger name? Sound off below!
PHOTO CREDIT: Paquin: Prashant Gupta/HBO; Manganiello: Rick Stephens/PR Photos
YESS!!!! I love this guy and he is perfect for the part.
I agree – I think this is a great fit – for looks anyway, here is hoping his acting can pull the character off!
see the imdb links below and you’ll see looks wise he’s a VERY good fit. Get rid of the facial hair – stat !
omg!!! yes!!! perfect!!!!
Much hunkier photos on imdb. He is actually taller than Alexander Skatsgard which is good. It gets kind of sad seeing little Bill and Sam standing next to the Viking and looking like they need a stepstool.
WHAT?!! Are you kidding me? I saw this dude on OTH, he’s okay. Alcide had to be cast perfectly!!!
I agree… I’m reading the third book now and Alcide just HAS to be cast perfectly, and I’m not sure about him…
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm852855040/nm0542133
Ausiello picked an unbelievably lousy picture. . . . . the one above is much better. At 6’5″, with these looks, I think AB made a good start on Alcide.
I agree that picture above is no good but this one has me believing he is perfect!!! =D
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3708722432/nm0542133
to cictrubie – yep the pic on the link is way better and if he is indeed that hot then my heart is now torn between eric and alcide
oh joy! 
cictrubie is right, Ausiello picked a horrible pic to front this story. follow that link, this guy is worthy of casting the role…based on those yummy pics.
That picture of him is perfect. He looks the part and is very hot!
Ok…I can see it now. Definitely yummy.
COMPLETELY AGREE!! They must be JOKING!! He’s not right at ALL!!!
EW posted a really “bad” pic, IMO.
Check out some of the pix here: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0542133/mediaindex
I think you might change your mind.
I know I did. grins.
Joe’s gorgeous. And therefore, perfect, IMO.
So not impressed
Yeah, this isn’t how I imagined Alcide. I was so excited… I don’t find this guy attractive at all. He was rubbish on OTH!
Interesting. I’ll have to wait and see.
SHAVE THAT MUSTACHE!!!
Who? Awwwwww. Will Swenson would have been so good! Okay, whatever. Looks like this season is adding up to be a snooze-fest. Too many side characters and stories. Yawn!
Oh and a boring Alcide
I liked has a Brad on HIMYM, and he has the look, but I’ll be curious to take on such a different character
He’s just a dumb oaf on HIMYM. I hope that’s what they have in store for him on True Blood.
Uh, I’ve never really watched One Tree Hill so I can’t say, but I DO KNOW that I can’t much picture Alcide hanging around on the CW. Oh Alan, guess I’ll just have to take you’re word for it.
He looks okay to me. Won’t really know til we see him in action!
Where’s the Price is Right losing horn when you need it?
I pictured alcide way more actractive than this guy. I’m glad they went with a basic unknown but he’s pretty ugly – he could play charlie chaplin. Maybe it’s a bad photo
http://www.hunkymalecelebs.com/joe_manganiello/pictures/3.jpg
I donno, I think he’s pretty smokin’
If people are not won over by THAT pic, they’re blind and CRAZY!!! What a hottie.
OK, this pic sells me for sure! Wow, cannot wait for the new season!
Wow Dina…MEAN much! I should be so lucky to have this guys looks. I’d like to see what you look like, oops, I forgot…this whole anonymous thing with leaving comments. I guess that just emboldens some posters who can’t come up with anything smart to say…just lame and 3rd grade style putdowns. Sigh. Please grow up and better yet, let us know when you sign that supermodel of the world modeling contract, ok?
If dina thinks HE is ugly I would love to see what kind of guy she considers to be good looking or hot. I mean some of these pics of him are nothing but HOT.
Dina, your entitled to say whatever you want. Don’t listen to Robbyrod. Men critize women so harshly and women are always concerned with being polite. For God’s sake men even invented the term buttaface/butterface! And there are many websites such as Bastardly that all it does is post pictures of famous women and then everyone proceeds to critize every little thing about her and insult her imperfections. You’re entitled to your opinions. Don’t ever let idiots like that stop you from speaking your mind.
This is why women don’t get ahead. They’re always so concerned with being sweet and polite. Why do you think most CEOs in this world are men? And men like pressuring women to be sweet and generous rather than ambitious or opinionated because it soothes their fragile egos to be superior in the workplace and in politics. If women were not restricted to act a certain way and they were free to be themselves they would be way more successful in life. Think about it.
He’s cute but he sure ain’t Alcide.
Tara, in the book, you were not black and Sookie has blue eyes. Rutina and Anna managed to make the characters work.
In the books, Tara is black. What books were you reading?
Lette, In the books Tara has an olive complexion – you’re just wrong!
Um, in the books Tara is white skinned with black hair. But I think Rutina plays her perfectly.
The majority of olive skinned people in LA are of french/african american descent. The books never say Tara is white.
They also never say she is black. Personally, I associate olive skinned as being Hispanic or Italian. But that is not even my point of my original reply to Tara.
Charlaine Harris has said that her biggest regret has been not making Tara Thornton black in the books. Because she says in the show it makes perfect sense. In the books she never says Tara is white but it’s implied.
Lette; i am a southwest louisiana native. my father and his entire side of the family including my brother and myself are all olive skinned, as are quite a majority of native american/french (COON@SS) folk n louisiana. i have pictured Tara as being a coon@ss from the first time i read her description in the book. not trying 2 be a smarty, but i hate that not everyone who reads the books or watches the show understands the true roots of louisiana. and btw, rutina wesley does a good job at playing this tough version of tara thornton instead of the boutique owning vampire dating tara in the books.
I’ll watch him on the show and give him a chance before I say anything. He is pretty cute though and in the books Alcide is good looking with some untamed hair. We’ll see in far too long I want to watch the new season. TV is boring without it.
Joe’s a big dude, I can see why they casted him as the werewolf.
True dat. He really needs to shave though, he looks better the photos without all that facical hair.
I really liked him on OTH and LOVED Alcide in the books. So excited for Joe; he’ll do great!
blah.
He’s good looking enough to be Alcide, I don’t know his work yet but I’m willing to give him a shot.
I was kind of hoping for Jeffrey Dean Morgan, but I think I’m perfectly happy with the choice they *did* make.
i like JDM a lot but i think he would’ve been way too old, alcide is only supposed to be around 30.
Too old plus I think I’d still see him as “Denny”.
I See JDM as Calvin Norris, who is leader of Hotshot “community” and Crystal’s uncle.
JDM is too old and not right at all. Henry Cavill or Tom Welling would’ve been perfect.
UGH! Tom Welling?! Too small and not powerful enough. Have you read the books?! This guy may work out. I gotta admit at first glance I was totally against it but reading about his height and seeing the pics nudged me over.
Yes I’ve read the books! Tom Welling is NOT too small. He’s 6’3″ and he’s got the hair and the eye color that Alcide has in the books.
Tom Welling small? the guy is 6’3!
And henry Cavill is too pretty and a mediocre actor. This one is perfect looking, let’s see if he can act.
According to Wiki, Alcide Herveaux is “a tall man with green eyes, tousled hair that is thick and black”. Also I remember from the books that he’s supposed to be Sookie’s own age, meaning around mid to late twenties. I always imagined Alcide as tall, muscular, rugged and maybe with facial hair but still with a BOYISH face. This guy is in his thirties and doesn’t look boyish at all. Waaaaaay too old. JDM is even older than that, I actually think JDM would be great for playing Alcide’s dad LOL. Is Hollywood running out of young men or something?
I agree. JDM would be a better choice. I was rooting for him. I don’t know this Joe fella.