As much as I want to think of Joe Manganiello as a himbo meathead, he’s more than that. Joe is winning at life – he works consistently, he’s married to his dream girl, Sofia Vergara, and everything’s coming up roses for him. I also think he’s probably more of a theater geek than people realize AND more nerdy in general than his six-pack abs would have us believe. Joe chatted with the current issue of People Magazine about his upcoming five-year anniversarry with Sofia, and lots of other stuff:
He adores his wife: “I knew pretty quickly that I could trust her, and she knew pretty quickly that she could trust me. And we’re both the kind of people who are capable of putting the other person ahead of ourselves. I was capable of putting her wishes ahead of mine, whatever they were, and she was capable of doing the same. Once you have that, you don’t let go of it…. My instincts about her were right.”
He & Sofia did marathons of his favorite shows in quarantine: “Sofia had never seen Mad Men, which I saw every episode of and was obsessed with, so we went through all of Mad Men. Then she had never seen The Sopranos and I was like, ‘That’s the greatest show that’s ever been made that kicked off all of the great cable shows. It paved the way. You have to see these.’ So I watched The Sopranos again. She thought it was brilliant.”
What else they’ve watched together: They also revisited “lots of obscure movies” that Manganiello considers “favorites.” “I love [director and producer] John Milius so I watched Conan the Barbarian again, and I’ve been going through David Fincher movies. And we watched all three seasons of Eastbound & Down, which she’d never seen.”
He’s been busy on other stuff too: “I’ve actually had a strangely busy quarantine.” That’s included raising money for Make-a-Wish America by auctioning off a chance to play Dungeons & Dragons with him, “doing tons of animation” work, and wrapping a mysterious motion capture project that he teased on Instagram.
He’s still a gym rat: “I eat whatever I want, but training-wise, six days a week I’m in there. I’ve really been able to make some progress in the gym over the past six months in quarantine. Because I have a home gym for God’s sake, which is worth its weight in gold now.”
He loves his own fur: “Anytime that I shave, it’s always for work. I can’t remember the last time I got a haircut for fun or shaved because I wanted to personally. If I had it my way, I’d have a beard down to my chest.”
With all of the quarantine divorces, it’s easy to forget that some couples probably really enjoyed the lockdown because they got to spend a lot of time with the people they love the most. I imagine Sofia’s head was spinning after all of those marathons, although I’ve been wondering if I should do a Mad Men marathon this year too. I’ve done marathons of everything else! Bones, Castle, Saving Grace. Maybe I should watch all of my Miss Marples next.
As for his home gym… what I wouldn’t give for a home gym! What a luxury. I hope Sofia’s not sick of him, because he sounds like he’s more in love with her than ever.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I like them together, they seem like a good match. He was so great in HIMYM, and True Blood.
I did a Mad Men marathon this month! that was my second time, as I never saw it during the original run, so the 1st time I saw it was by binging it. I adore it, up until the 6th season. The 4th season is my favourite, followed by the 5th. But it became really different in the 6th season, it just wasn’t the same for me.
The ending I loved.
And I love Joe as well, in every possible way 😀
I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve watched Mad Men. I think it’s my favorite of any of the great TV Series. Every actor was perfectly cast, right down to the most minor part. The 4th season was my favorite as well.
I just watched Good Omens and Jon Hamm has a supporting role as Gabriel and he’s terrific. He has the leading man looks, but I think he excels in character roles.
I agree except for alexis bledel, that was miscast
They both seem like really lovely normal people. Love them both and wish them well and I hope she is able to be free from that nut job ex soon.
@ Digital – Is she still being harassed by her crazy ex after all these years? I haven’t kept up.
I’m sorry but this would drive me insane. Is he just constantly insisting she watch all of HIS favourites? Does he ever watch anything she wants to watch?!
I’m so sorry he didn’t capture every moment of his relationship in a brief interview in a way that satisfies your complete curiosity.
In his defense, if Sofia had never seen the Sopranos or Mad Men, it doesn’t sound like she watched much appointment tv. So it’s understandable that he would urge her, as an actress, to check out those great series.
I have a friend whose mom wouldn’t let them watch TV when they were young, so when she got to college, there were all kinds of shows we were catching her up on. If Sofia hadn’t seen some of the “great” shows (maybe because she’s been busy hustling and working), I can understand wanting to share them with her.
Yeah god forbid a dude wants to show his wife something he enjoys, and she agrees!
Stop trying to be offended over things that are nowhere near offensive.
Eyeroll.
I was thinking the exact same thing. He never mentions watching any of her faves. Of course he adores her…. she takes an interest in all his interests.
He was great in the new Pee Wee movie.
My husband and I have enjoyed our favorite classic films: Gaslight, which is a must see if only to truly understand the term gaslighting. Ingrid Bergman is gorgeous, and playing the part of a maid is a very young and beautiful Angela Lansbury. Lansbury is the lead in The Picture of Dorian Gray, another great. Then we watched Wuthering Heights and Rebecca, both such grand gothic masterpieces. Next came everything Hitchcock. This weekend we are finally watching my favorite Gene Tierney films. To me she was the most beautiful actress ever. If you watch her films, start with Laura, then The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, and then Leave Her To Heaven. All these are just wonderful!
Giddy I cannot agree more about Gene Tierney and I love the movie Laura too!
“Laura” is such a great movie and so perfectly cast — Gene Tierney is so beautiful.
I saw the movie when I was young, so it was easy for me to spot when TV shows and movies use its plot (not saying what, ya gonna have to see it!) as their plot or a plot point. I do have a favorite movie which uses “Laura” as its plot (things changed up a bit, plus ’80s-cized) but don’t want to mention it in case anyone hasn’t seen “Laura.”
On another note: Joe is hot, and seems like a really good man. Sofia did well by him, and I honestly think she adores him. I hope they make it. So many other gossip sites seem like they want them to break up.
@Giddy those are all great recommendations! I’m a classic film nerd too and have loved all of those. What is your favorite source to stream or download classics? I find it impossible to find a good selection nowadays. I’m worried we’re losing access to them in today’s world.
On another note, Joe is an incredibly great dresser. His suits are always so flattering and eye-catching. I wonder if he has a stylist or if he has his own great taste. Together those two are always a sight to behold.
Check out Criterion Channel.
I wanna know too. What’s your preferred way to stream old movies? I happen to have the Ghost and Mrs Muir on DVD, but no longer have a DVD player. That was always my moms favorite movie. Young Rex Harrison, oh my! I would love to see my favorite Ginger Rogers movies, Kitty Foyle and the Major and the Minor. All of Stanwyck’s movies are on my faves list.
You can find a lot of old movies on YouTube for a start. Also try archive.org and dailymotion.com.
@Giddy thanks for all of those recs. I’m a huge fan of the “You Must Remember This” podcast and have been meaning to watch the many classic movies mentioned.
Good selections. Notorious is one of my favorite Hitchcock’s. I adore Claude Rains, one of the greatest character actors ever.
@ JERUSHA-ITA, Claude Rains is DA BEST!!!! Loved him with Bette Davis in “Now, Voyager” & of course “Mr Skeffington”. Also with Bogie in “Casablanca”
My favorite classics are The Philadelphia Story (Cary Grant is perfection💋), Sunset Boulevard, Picnic (my mom’s fave’-omg, that dance scene, sizzling hot🔥) and my ULTIMATE is All About Eve-sublimely brilliant. Great writing, acting, costumes, all behind the facade of old time Hollywood-in gorgeous black & white!
@ravynrebyn. Yes!! To all of those! Fantastic films. I looooooooove Philadelphia Story, one of those perfect films-casting, script, direction, everything. I recently did a Billy Wilder Marathon-Double Indemnity(Stanwyck, the most fatale of femmes), Sunset Blvd, Ace in the Hole, Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. I’d seen all before, but it’s nice to revisit favorites at a different point in your life. Wilder is one of my favorite directors(among many others). I love the classics.
Notorious for the win! Favorite movie ever! Loving the love for Leave her to Heaven… whoa.
I didn’t realize there were so many classic movie buffs on here! I highly recommend any Carole Lombard movies, My Man Godfrey is awesome, To Be or Not to Be is kinda perfect too!
Also Sullivan’s Travels is amazing. But anything by Preston Sturges is great!
Giddy you are a fan of my favourites too! Greer Garson is another fave of mine – Mrs. Miniver, Goodbye Mr. Chips, even Pride and Prejudice (very Hollywoodish but Laurence Olivier is delicious in it). I’ve also watched The Thin Man series in lock-down for the umpteenth time – their chemistry is unbelievable and a lot of the script was adlibbed.
Omg I love all your picks! Gene Tierney is my favorite old hollywood movie star. Just beyond breathtaking and Leave Her to Heaven blew me away
I just watched “The Razor’s Edge” with Tierney and Tyrone Power. Great movie with two very beautiful people.
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir is IMO one of the most romantic movies of all time! I really love that one. Good especially for a snowy saturday afternoon. Makes me weep every time!
I’ve always loved them as a couple, hope they last 🤞.
Which Miss Marple are we talking about? The classic Margaret Rutherford ones which have almost no connection to the books but which I love endlessly? The one with Angela Lansbury? Joan Hickson? Or the more recent one with Geraldine McEwan and Julia McKenzie?
I enjoyed all the Miss Marples, although I have to say Geraldine McEwan was my least favorite. I’ve been listening to Agatha Christie audiobooks, including several miss Marples. They really help to fill out the background missing in the TV shows. Margaret Rutherford is so different physically and played the character differently than the others, so I found that kind of disconcerting. I’m not sure what Miss Marple’s intended attributes were from Agatha Christie’s point of view. I think I enjoyed Julia McKenzie the most, although Joan Hickson really embodied the character and appearance of how I think of miss Marple.
I’ve been slowly working my way through all the Poirot mysteries (my library being closed really slowed that down) and will then start on Miss Marple, so this is fun to read!
They sat near us in a restaurant a few years ago when her son was graduating from Emerson, a strikingly beautiful couple.
His Dungeons and Dragons love is apparently well known in Hollywood and was written int The Big Bang Theory as a running joke for years.
My lockdown movie go tos: Some Like It Hot, Philadelphia Story, Bringing Up Baby, Arsenic and Old Lace, Casablanca, African Queen.
Was everyone on True Blood and Daredevil into D ana D .
Deborah has her own show about D and D (Geeks and Sundry) where she is the Master . Her and Janina Gavankar started playing on set , Janina has a nice tale about her begging DAW to let her join it because she could not get anyone to play with her growimg up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aDJE6C54Vg
Miss Marple is amaxxxxxxing. I’m obbessed with that series and pirout
They are a very cute couple they both seem to worship each other
They do seem like a nice normal couple. When they first got together, there wa so much about their courtship, their wedding, but only bits and pieces since then. Hope they last!
I’ve gotten hooked on a couple of Danish TV series during lock-down – one is “The Killing” about a female police detective who’s just about to move to Sweden, but a young girl is murdered and she can’t bear to leave until she finds the killer. It is nail-bitingly good. The other is “Occupied” where the Norwegian government decides to stop all oil and gas production in the North Sea to go “green”. It results in a world oil and gas crisis so Russia does a “soft invasion” of the country to take control of the oil supplies. Another nail-biter and I don’t even mind the sub-titles!
Have you seen The Bridge? Another Swedish/Danish Tv series I highly recommend!
Thanks, I’ll have to look it up!
Where did you find the Danish version of “The Killing”? I’ve heard the American version is not as good, but that’s the only one I can find. I have “Borgen” on my to-do list too!
We’ve been watching it on TV and it’s available on Netflix too. I checked for it on Amazon and Ebay and unfortunately all the copies I saw were for Region 2 (UK, Europe, Japan) and won’t play on North American DVD players.
They both seem like nice down to earth people. I hope they last too, it must be such a relief to be with a good guy after the insane nut job she was with previously.
He’s a sweetheart. I just watched the sleep over on Netflix with him in it #swoon. I need to find his twin. I recommend this as a fun movie to escape reality
I’m happy for them and hope it lasts. After her last ex’s abusive legal action, I feel like he must be a breath of fresh air.
I love Joe and his love for D&D. I’ve read a lot of his interviews and he actually graduated with a BFA in acting from Carnegie Mellon (a great school) so I honestly think he’s a theater geek at heart. He is also super involved with Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. He’s a catch and Sofía is a lucky woman. I’m glad she found someone like him after her crazy ex.
He does so much for Make A Wish. He is native to Pittsburgh. My daughter is a Wish kid and he rented out the whole theater in Dormont (where he is from) so Wish kids could meet him and screen his Smurf’s movie. He was so humble and kind. He also is friends with a lot of Penguins players and my daughter got a swag bag from them.
I still laugh when I think of how he basically begged to play Superman and got rejected. He should just quit trying to be an actor and live off Sofia’s money.
He’s lovely. Ooooooo, I wish we could post photos on here, because in the second photo, Mrs M looks like my daughter! And my niece, since the cousins are so alike. Wow.
Wow he is so down to Earth. She got lucky and so did he!
They are such a hot couple, I Love them together! So glad she ended up with this hottie instead of that garbage pro life republican with all the embryo drama. I am curious about what the latest is on that crap.
I want to like him. But he once named Ayn Rand as one of his favorite authors and I have been turned off ever since.
Aww so sweet. Happy for them.
Remember when he was mysteriously seriously ill? I don’t remember if any disclosure was made, and it’s certainly none of my business, but I am curious.