Manganiello was almost a showbiz Survivor
True Blood star applied to take part in long-running series in the early years
Joe Manganiello auditioned for Survivor as `Joe the Construction Worker.'
The True Blood star was a struggling actor when he sent in an application to take part in the long-running competition series — which sees a group of strangers set various challenges while working together to provide food, fire and shelter in a remote location, gradually being voted off until one hopeful wins a $1 million prize — but was warned he couldn't submit his pitch using his real profession.
He told Entertainment Tonight: “So, years ago. Long, long, long, long, long time ago I was at some pool party somewhere.
“And I met someone who was casting for Survivor when it first came out. I was like, `I could win.' And they were like, `Oh, really? Why don't you make a tape?' And it was summer. I was working construction to pay the bills.
“They said you can't be an actor. Because there's too many actors in L.A. trying to, (so) we can't.
“Try to find it yeah. There's a DVD of my Survivor audition as Joe the Construction Worker from Pittsburgh. And it's him jackhammering out there.”
The 47-year-old actor was chosen for the series, but ultimately had to drop out because of an acting project.
He explained: “And they wanted me on the show. But I had a pilot that I had shot the year before that. Got picked up a year later and that never happens. So, I was going to be on TV and you can't be on TV and be on Survivor and they wanted the rights — like the book rights — and my life story. I couldn't do it.”
While Manganiello didn't get to visit a remote location for Survivor, he is heading to a private island with 13 contestants as the host of Deal or No Deal Island, a spinoff of the popular game show that will see participants take part in various challenges and dilemmas, as well as the usual box-opening game.
He said: “The excursions, the challenges are so much fun.
“There's geniuses that work on this show. Matt Kunitz is our showrunner who created Fear Factor. So, there's a Fear Factor element. Our story team was the story team for Big Brother. So, they're going over the relationships and getting the dirt and letting me know what's going on in camp.
“And then the whole crew was the Survivor crew. So, we really have this all-star crew, just brilliant, brilliant people.”