Joe Manganiello’s character in True Blood, Alcide Herveaux, was beloved in more ways than one. Although he was the protagonist, he ended up stealing the show and becoming a favorite in the hearts of the fans. Despite his fan appeal, though, his character was killed off in a very abrupt and heartbreaking manner.
Although this decision has been notably controversial among fans, it would seem that Manganiello wasn’t a big fan of it either. During a recent interview, the actor talked about his sudden exit from the series, and his thoughts on the matter echo close to what fans think.
Joe Manganiello Over-Stayed His Welcome?
Recently, Joe Manganiello gave an interview on Andy Cohen’s SiriusXM show, where he took a trip down memory lane and talked about his iconic character in True Blood. More specifically, the actor talked about his character getting written out of the series and how he was not very pleased with the move they took.
He started by saying that his character had a lot more left in him. Believing that Alcide Herveaux did not get to explore all that he could as a character, he mentioned finding that to be disappointing. He then revealed that when he first joined the cast of the series, his character was supposed to be written out very soon.
I thought there was so much left on the table for me.
Appearing in the third season, the actor was planning on staying only for a few episodes till the series was done with his character. However, fans ended up falling in love with Herveaux, warning to see as much of him as they could. When audiences are demanding that a side character be given more screen time, studios often listen.
The thing about it was they never planned for me to be on the show past one season. I was signed up as a guest star my first season, and when my character really broke and people really loved the character, they were kind of unprepared for that to happen.
While this ended up being a great direction for Manganiello, the writers were now stuck with a character that they had no planning for.
Joe Manganiello Had to be Written Out
Joe Manganiello further revealed why he was inevitably written out of the series. He claimed that, although his character was beloved by fans of True Blood, the writers found him to cause a hindrance to Sookie’s storyline. Since he was playing a big role in her story and the writers did not want that, he was killed off.
I wound up on the show for five years in total, but my character had to get out of the way so that Sookie could wind up settling the A and B plots with Bill and Eric, and the only way to get me out of the way was — spoiler alert — you know, to shoot me in the face. I really felt like there was a lot that was left unexplored.
While his passing in the series was tragic and painful for many fans, it would seem that the sudden death has caused Manganiello to have an inherent need to play a werewolf again. Further in the interview, the actor spoke along similar lines.
I’m always on the lookout for like a good werewolf script for me because… I feel like there’s a lot in me that was unfinished. I have unfinished business in the werewolf department.
He confessed that he is constantly looking for scripts that could require him to play a werewolf, feeling like he has “unfinished business” when it comes to the supernatural species.
True Blood is available for streaming on Max.
