Heartthrob Joe Manganiello is known for playing “Flash Thompson” in SPIDER-MAN and SPIDER-MAN,” opposite Tobey Maguire and  best known playing the lovely Sophia Bush’s main interest, “Owen,” on “One Tree Hill.”
This coming June, Joe will have the honor of playing the lead role of “Leo Belraggio” in the West Coast Premiere of UNUSUAL ACTS OF DEVOTION, written by multiple Tony award winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist Terrence McNally and directed by Trip Culman at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego– a role he originated almost a year earlier at a staged reading at the Ojai Playwrights Conference directed by Leonard Foglia.

Aside from acting, Joe is an avid athlete. He is an enthusiastic Pittsburgh Steelers fan and was able to attend the 2006 Superbowl in which the Steelers took it home. He also has had the honor of sky diving with the US Army’s famous parachute team, The Golden Knights, and has trained with the Navy Seals for his role in Fox Entertainment’s “Behind Enemy Lines.”

We got to ask him a few questions about his career, this is what he said:

Tell us about starring as the lead playing Navy Seal “Lt. Sean Macklin” in Fox Home Entertainment’s BEHIND ENEMY LINES: COLOMBIA.
I really threw myself into the part. I worked out twice a day with a trainer and nutritionist for six weeks and had classroom and gun range sessions with a former Navy Seal Lieutenant before heading to Puerto Rico for a week of boot camp with a former Marine Recon Sergeant and three weeks of Filipino knife fighting with a martial artist. I can honestly say that I now know about 100 ways to kill someone. So…don’t cut in front of me in the lunch line.

What was it like working with director Tim Matheson?
I love Tim. I’ve been a huge fan of his since “Animal House” and especially after watching him as the Vice President on “West Wing” which I think, politics aside, is one of the greatest written and acted shows in the history of television. But working with Tim as a director? I was in awe of how calm a set he ran in the face of how difficult a script it was to shoot and fast we had to shoot it. That I think is the true sign of an amazing director and Tim was incredible. I’d jump at the chance to work with him again as a director or as an actor.

Did you do your own stunt work?
I do as much as they let me get away with, and in “Behind Enemy Lines,” it was a lot! Basically, if I could die….well, they wouldn’t let me do that, but there were some stunts I was shocked I was getting to do. I’ve got to say, I’m a lucky guy because my stunt double Oliver Keller is about as good as it gets when it comes to stuntmen. We’ve been working together since “Spider-Man” back in 2001 and he does a fantastic job of prepping me for the stunts I can do and for knowing when to tell me to step aside. I literally have to trust the guy with my life every day. I guess it’s paid off so far…so far…[laughs].

From Navy Seal to heartthrob on One Tree Hill—what is like being on a hit teen drama?
It’s funny to me in a lot of ways. Funny that it takes them about 10 minutes to cover up sides of my gray hairs in the morning. Funny that I seem to have my shirt off in a lot of episodes. Funny to me that I was in one of the biggest films in the history of film and played a character on the most Emmy award winning show in the history of television, but none of that even compares to the popularity I have gained by being on “One Tree Hill.” It’s been a blast! Gotta love those “One Tree Hill” fans.

Will you be returning next season to the show?
If they ask me and I’m not doing something else, I’d love to. I’ve had several talks with show creator Mark Schwahn about where my character “Owen” would go from here but it’s inevitably up to him. Write those letters, fans!

You are also a theatrical actor. Tell us about your past theatre work and your new play coming out in June.
I have a degree in classical theatre from the Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama in Pittsburgh. I came up doing plays. Everything from the Ancient Greeks, Commedia, Shakespeare, Ibsen, Chekov, etc. I usually get to do a play a year with my film and TV schedule. Last year I got to play my dream role of “Stanley Kowalski” in “A Streetcar Named Desire.” It was one of the most fulfilling experiences I’ve ever had in my life and this June I get to play in the west coast premiere of Terrence McNally’s new play “Unusual Acts of Devotion” at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego. He is a playwright every acting student studies in school and it’s a huge honor to be involved. My professors would be very proud.