Entertainment

Photo Proof Joe Manganiello Wasn't Always a Stud

by Alicia Lutes

I mean, obviously we have some feelings about Joe Manganiello. We have them damn near all the time (we're only human, after all). The hyper-sexual werewolf that suddenly made banging a werewolf a desirable thing, it seems, was not always this way. Meaning, somehow, this man was not so incredibly sexy you want to climb him like a tree and put your face on his face (and everywhere else for that matter, why lie?) for the whole of his existence. Like the rest of us — as Manganiello revealed on Conan O'Brien's show — he had a bit of an awkward phase.

Only...what could an "ugly" and/or "awkward" phase possibly look like for Joe Manganiello, right? I mean, good lord he's got the strength of a steam engine and the deep-throated vocal cords of a man who at least sounds like he knows exactly what he wants. To say nothing of the subtle salt-and-pepperness of his beard, or those sensual brown eyes, or those shoulders and stomach and oh god... we're getting ahead of ourselves here (whew). Sorry! We know it's really uncool to sexually objectify anyone but, I mean, if you watch True Blood at all it's sort of explicitly his job, so! Maybe we're not that sorry after all.

But this photo. This photo of Baby Manganiello? This is not at ALL what we expected. Not at all.

Yeah, you guys. Yeah. Soak that all in. Speechless? We don't blame you, but we also realize you might need help finding the words (and/or guttural utterances) to say what you're feeling. Why not try some of our own reactions on for size?

  1. No. No! Seriously?
  2. HuuuUUuuuUuuuu—?
  3. Ohmah...
  4. Whoa.
  5. I mean, I just.
  6. Check out those frames!
  7. Oh my gosh.
  8. Actually this is kind of amazing.
  9. Talk about revenge of the nerds.
  10. Because, I mean ...what?
  11. How in the...
  12. What in the...
  13. He went from that to that?
  14. I honestly just cannot and I don't even care if that's basic of me to say.
  15. ... I MEAN JUST LOOK AT THAT. NIGHT AND DAY. NIGHT AND DAY.
  16. It's like the ultimate proof that it really does get better.

Image: TBS