How did you find out that you won the role?

JOE MANGANIELLO:I had three meetings with Alan Ball.

[After the last one], I got a call from my agent and manager.

What was your reaction when they told you?

MANGANIELLO:Im not afraid to admit that I started crying.

I was just so excited.

Its a dream come true.

And I would pray every day with all of my heart that God would turn me into a werewolf.

And when it didnt happen, I kind of thought, You know what?

Maybe this stuff doesnt work.

Maybe Im getting gypped.

So here it is 25 years later and my prayers got answered and Im going to be a werewolf.

What was it about being a werewolf that appealed to you?

MANGANIELLO:I just loved Halloween.

When I think about it now, bringing a 4-year-old kid to a haunted house is pretty intense.

He wound up picking me up and putting me in the coffin with him and closing the lid.

I [just] always liked monsters.

Theres something cathartic about the idea of having a beast inside you.

Are you a fan of the show?

MANGANIELLO:Huge fan.

Ive seen every episode.

Have you met Anna Paquin yet?

MANGANIELLO:Not yet.

They wanted me to read with her.

That was going to be my final audition, a chemistry read with Anna.

But she wasnt available so they had me come in by myself…

I think its going to be great.

Ive seen a ton of her movies going all the way back toThe Piano.

When do you start shooting?

MANGANIELLO:Late January, so Ive got some time.

Every day right now is all about the Werewolf Workout.

And Im doing a little bit of weights in between.

Was this something Alan Ball asked you to do?

This is something I wanted to do on my own.

Im a big guy to begin with; I work out a lot anyway.

Vampires have a supernatural strength to them, so you might have a vampire that is a little slighter.

But a werewolf is this big, powerful, half man, half animal.

I want to get as close to that as I possibly can.

Wait, theres more!

How long is he committed toTrue Bloodfor?

And should Sookie-Bill and Sookie-Eric fans be worried?

Look for those answers (and more!)

Photo Credit: John M. Heller/Getty Images