Does Joe Manganiello Stuff His G-String in Magic Mike?

USMagazine, Tuesday, February 21, 2012, 4:01pm (PST)

With a name like Big Dick Richie, Joe Manganiello has a lot to prove in Magic Mike. In an interview with the March issue of OUT, the actor addresses rumors he padded his G-string to embody his role as a male stripper.

"I'll let everybody see the movie and they can decide," a sheepish Manganiello says.

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Director Steven Soderbergh says the beefy 6-foot-5 star doesn't have anything to be embarrassed about. "The joke on the set was he was walking CGI. At one point, we have him painted gold, and it's pretty cool."

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Soderbergh cast Manganiello in the male stripper movie after seeing him on an episode of Chelsea Lately. "Part of what we required was someone who could improv and bring a lot to the table. He was funny, smart, had a good energy and was distinctive," Soderbergh says. "I needed to make sure each guy had their own identity, and he didn't disappoint."

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Manganiello -- who frequently shows off his bare butt on HBO's True Blood -- isn't fazed by onscreen nudity. "Somebody's gotta do it," he says. "Am I afraid of being typecast? I could care less."

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"There are a lot of drugs, the overdosing, the depraved lifestyle [in Magic Mike]," Manganiello, 35, tells OUT. "But on the other side, it's hilarious."

Magic Mike -- which also stars Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey and Matt Bomer -- premieres June 29.

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