Joe Manganiello.Photo:Patrick Ecclesine/NBC
Patrick Ecclesine/NBC
Deal or No Deal IslandhostJoe Manganielloalmost appeared on a different reality competition show.
While Manganiello considers himself a game show “freak,”Naked and Afraidmight not be the show he’d choose to go on.
“Naked and Afraidis a whole other thing,” Manganiello says. “That’s like, hardcore survival!”
Manganiello did, however, try to land a spot on another survival show:Survivor.
“There was a moment where I had a strategy and I thought I could win,” he says. “There’s a DVD floating around somewhere that is mySurvivoraudition tape. But you couldn’t be an actor. I was working construction at the time, the summer in L.A. and so I posed as Joe the construction worker from Pittsburgh. Somewhere there’s me jackhammering and mixing cement.”
Though he never got to live out hisSurvivordreams, Manganiello is staying involved in the reality television world as the host ofDeal or No Deal Island.TheMagic Mikestar describes the series asDeal or No Dealwith the spirit of “an action-adventure series likeSurvivor.”
Joe Manganiello with ‘Deal or No Deal Island’ assistants Kamari Love and Ben Crofchick.Monty Brinton/NBC
Monty Brinton/NBC
Monday’s premiere episode saw Kim throw Aron into the first game ofDeal or No Dealagainst the Banker after winning the challenge. Aron, a 26-year-old accountant, knocked out a lot of the high value cases right at the top of the game and turned down multiple offers from the Banker, including the final one. Luckily, the amount in the case Aron picked ended up being higher than the Banker’s last offer, keeping Aron in the game.
Still, someone still had to go home, and Aron chose Brantzen to be that person. Boston residentRob Marinohad a target on his back as a previousSurvivorwinner, but he and Aron formed an alliance.
“Some of the contestants knew who they were, some didn’t,” Manganiello says. “It was something that I wanted to make sure that would stay preserved until the contestants figured it out. We wanted to put it in their hands and see how they were going to deal with it. Because at its core, it’s a social experiment.”
Joe Manganiello.Monty Brinton/NBC
TheTrue Bloodalum called that “a really fun dynamic to watch.”
“I wanted to see how that played out because there were moments where the sheets got pulled off and then everyone realizes and the target goes up,” he continues. “But you also have to imagine that for that person, their game is going to have to go up. They’re going to have to show that, because of their past experience, that’s valuable to the group. But they also have to watch their back because they know that that’s going to create enemies.”
Manganiello shares that he “was wired” while filmingDeal or No Deal Islandwatching how everything unfolded.
“I couldn’t sleep most nights, none of us could,” the Pittsburgh native says. “We were crazy because of what happens on this show. It’s so exciting.”
Next, Manganiello will star inNonnasoppositeLorainne Bracco,Drea de Matteo,Talia ShireandVince Vaughn. He describes the movie as “a celebration of being Italian.”
“And I became an Italian citizen last year, so I know what it means to be Italian,” Manganiello says. “I don’t get to play Italian all the time because I think if you put me into a lineup, I look like their mutant cousin who’s a foot taller. There’s obviously something mixed in. So to be able to get in there and work on such a funny comedy, it really felt like this great family affair. I’m excited for people to see that.”
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Deal or No Deal Islandairs Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC and will stream the next day on Peacock.
source: people.com
