Joe Manganiello Was in Major Health Crisis When Ben Affleck’s Batman Came Calling

Joe Manganiello recently revealed that actor Ben Affleck’s offer for a role helped him through a health crisis. The “True Blood” actor shared this in his upcoming memoir, Bloodlines. The memoir is scheduled for release on Tuesday, October 13.

Ben Affleck offered Joe Manganiello Deathstroke when he needed it most

In his upcoming memoir, “Bloodlines”, Joe Manganiello made a revelation about one of his past projects. He shared that Ben Affleck offered him the Deathstroke role in the DCEU during a major health crisis.

The Hollywood Reporter recently shared an excerpt from the book. In it, Manganiello shared that while his ex-wife Sofia Vergara was preparing for him to die, he bagged “the biggest role” of his life. He revealed that Vergara called his decision to take on a demanding role in a superhero movie “insane.”

However, even though Manganiello agreed with Vergara’s remarks, he was determined to play Deathstroke. He wrote, “It was just the carrot I needed dangled in front of me, the one that would lead me out of this nightmare that had become my life. I needed to believe, even if it turned out to be a delusion, that one year from now I could handle the rigors of shooting a superhero movie for six months. This would be my trial by fire.”

In 2016, Manganiello collapsed on the set of “Six”, a mini-series. It was revealed that his thyroid and intestines had been affected by a mystery autoimmune disease. The illness caused his weight to drop from 235 pounds to 176.

Moreover, he had to undergo emergency surgery to get his large intestine removed, as it “had turned to pus and was about to explode.” To prepare for the role, Manganiello tried to regain all his weight. He also wore his ostomy bag while trying on his Deathstroke costume. Manganiello recalled telling himself, “I’d gain the weight back, get my digestive system reconnected, lose the bag, and get back to my life.”