Joe Manganiello Made 2 Smart Investments With His First Acting Check

In a new Men’s Journal cover story , True Blood star Joe Manganiello revealed the two smart investments he made with his first check from the hit HBO series.

Manganiello began acting in 1999 and held memorable roles in Spider-Man (2002) and the sitcom Scrubs , but he didn’t receive a steady paycheck until 2010. That’s when he joined True Blood ’s third season as werewolf Alcide Herveaux, the foil to the series’ central vampire (Stephen Moyer).

“My first year on True Blood , I lived off my savings,” Manganiello admitted. “I was paid next to nothing for that first season, and I put all that money into my trainer and a publicist.”

Manganiello knew he didn’t have the means of his idols, so he invested his hard-earned money in himself with the hopes of achieving a similar stardom. “I didn’t have the money to be spending on Hugh Jackman’s trainer, right? But I just f---ing made it happen,” he said.

When Men’s Journal pointed out that Manganiello negotiated a much higher payday for the show’s fourth season, the actor simply smiled with “the non-verbal confirmation of a seasoned pro.”

Manganiello’s investment in himself has seemingly paid off in spades. The actor parlayed his buff True Blood role into profitable parts in comedies, dramas, and action movies. Most memorably, he starred as “Big Dick Richie” in the Magic Mike trilogy; opposite Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in Rampage ; and as a sensitive hitman-turned-artist in The Kill Room .

You can check out Manganiello’s full Men’s Journal interview here .