'True Blood' EXCLUSIVE: Joe Manganiello Compares Alcide To A Classic Children's Toy

'True Blood' EXCLUSIVE: Joe Manganiello Compares Alcide To A Classic Children's Toy



If you thought Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) already had an overabundance of supernatural suitors in the form of Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer), Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgard) and Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell), you should prepare yourself now for the addition of one more possible love interest. "One Tree Hill" actor Joe Manganiello joins the cast of "True Blood" this year as Alcide Herveaux, a werewolf sent by Eric to protect Sookie as she embarks on her quest to locate and rescue Vampire Bill, abducted by unknown forces at the end of season two.

"He's kind of a moral compass on the show," Joe said of Alcide in an exclusive interview with Hollywood Crush. "He's big, he's strong and he's protective. He's a good person."

According to Joe, Alcide also has a lot in common with a slinky. Not sure what that means? Click past the jump and we'll tell you what the actor had to say!

"I describe him as a slinky," Joe said as he began using an unexpected metaphor to describe his character. "It's this coiled piece of metal that when it's coiled a certain way, it can walk downstairs and do these amazing things. But if you were to try and straighten that slinky out, it would cease to be special. That's kind of how I see Alcide in a way — he's this amazing creature trying to live within the confines of human society. It's a lonely existence."

As "True Blood" progresses through the third season, Alcide uncoils and escorts Sookie through "an underground society of werewolves" in order to alleviate a debt he owes to Eric Northman. Viewers will soon recognize that there's an attraction between Alcide and Sookie, but the telepath isn't the only character in this pair with some additional romantic baggage.

"Alcide has a psycho ex-fiancée named Debbie Pelt who's floating around causing him trouble," said Joe. "She's crazy. She's psychotic. She's twisted. It's a fascinating dynamic between her and Alcide. She's a character on the edge and Alcide's caught in that spot between letting her go and trying to save her."