Claim: Joe Manganiello has been employed with Steven Soderbergh.

Joseph Michael Manganiello -LRB- -LSB- ˌmæŋɡəˈnɛloʊ -RSB- ; -LSB- maŋɡaˈnjɛllo -RSB- ; born December 28 , 1976 -RRB- is an American actor , director , producer , author and philanthropist . He played Flash Thompson in Sam Raimi 's Spider-Man trilogy and had various recurring roles in television on ER , How I Met Your Mother , and One Tree Hill , before landing his breakout role as werewolf Alcide Herveaux on the HBO television series True Blood . In 2011 , he was voted `` Favorite Pop-Culture Werewolf of All Time '' by the readers of Entertainment Weekly , and one of Men 's Health `` 100 Fittest Men of All Time '' .   Manganiello has appeared in films such as Magic Mike , What to Expect When You 're Expecting , and Sabotage . In late 2013 , he became a published author when his first book , Evolution , was released by Simon & Schuster 's Gallery Books . He is active with several charities , including Children 's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC , and he serves on the committee of The Art of Elysium .