“It was just about a year ago that I was made the offer (to write the book), and now – here we go.”
That short and simple quote from Joe Manganiello packs quite the punch and says much more than its 18 total words do. You see, the actor (and now author) had his already-rising career boosted by becoming cast mates and ultimately close friends with the man he emulated since childhood.
“If you grew up a make in my generation,” says Manganiello, 36, “you would be hard pressed to find even one guy who didn’t worship Arnold Schwarzenegger.”
During the filming of “Sabotage” (release date of April 11, 2014), Manganiello and Schwarzenegger “hit it off right away,” and when the book became a working project, the two actors spoke about it.
“When I mentioned it (“Evolution: The Cutting-Edge Guide to Breaking Down Mental Walls and Building the Body You’ve Always Wanted,” Gallery Books, released December 3, 2013) to Arnold, he told me that he would do whatever I needed for it,” describes Manganiello. “I asked him to write the forward and he accepted.”
Needless to say, this is one book forward that will not be skipped over. It is a powerful one, indeed, and includes the following:
“When I started looking for a younger speaker who would be able to understand Joe Weider’s legacy and also serve as a new flag bearer for the fitness crusade, it was obvious. I called my friend Joe Manganiello,” Schwarzenegger wrote.
The book is more than just a training manual; it’s an entire mindset and lifestyle tome that has Manganiello’s heart and soul in it, not just his words.
“It’s the fitness book I wish was (already) written that I would want to read,” describes Manganiello. “It just so happens that I was the one that got to write it.”
When asked what makes this book different from all of the others out there, Manganiello didn’t hesitate by saying, “I don’t make any money in fitness, so I get to tell the truth. There are no promises of getting razor sharp abs in four days or anything like that. There’s no bullshit in this book.”
Perhaps a year from now, we will be discussing the second volume.
Joe Manganiello has been in feature films and television since 1999 and some of his big screen accomplishments include “Spider-Man” (2002), “Magic Mike” (2012) and “Sabotage” (2014). He has been a series regular on HBO’s “True Blood” and also seen on successful programs such as “How I Met Your Mother,” “Two and a Half Men,” “Scrubs,” “One Tree Hill,” “E.R.,” and all three “C.S.I.” series. Be sure to visit his new website, Evolution359.com.
Photos courtesy of Gallery/Simon & Schuster Books
