Joe Manganiello, born as Joseph Michael Manganiello on December 28, 1976, is a well-known American actor. His professional acting journey began with his portrayal of Flash Thompson in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man. His breakout performance, however, was seen as werewolf Alcide Herveaux in five seasons of the HBO series True Blood. He also gained recognition for his performances in films like Magic Mike, Magic Mike XXL, Pee-wee's Big Holiday, What to Expect When You're Expecting, Sabotage, and Rampage. In 2013, he authored his first book, Evolution, and made his directorial debut in 2014 with the documentary La Bare, which he also produced and financed. He is notable for his role as Brad Morris in How I Met Your Mother and is actively connected with charities, specifically the UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, where he serves on the board of trustees. In 2016, he was cast as Slade Wilson / Deathstroke in the DC Extended Universe, debuting in 2017's Justice League. He has a younger brother, Nicholas and spent his childhood in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. After facing a series of sports injuries during high school, he decided to pursue acting and graduated from the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. His stage performances include Ulfheim in Henrik Ibsen's When We Dead Awaken and Leo Belraggio in Terrence McNally's Unusual Acts of Devotion. In 2016, he confirmed to appear as Deathstroke in the Ben Affleck Batman film. Outside his acting career, he actively involves with Dungeons & Dragons and owns a company that produces fantasy/heavy-metal themed streetwear.