WASHINGTON — The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) announced this week that actor and director Joe Manganiello will join the Assembly and its advocates from across the country for the Assembly’s Spring 2025 Advocacy Summit in Washington, DC, from March 31 through April 2.
To connect more closely with his Armenian heritage, Manganiello traveled to Armenia in 2024 touring the country for ten days and planted a tree at the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial in honor of his grandmother, and great-grandmother Terviz “Rose” Darakjian. He was received by the president of Armenia, Vahagn Khachaturyan, and other officials who were pleased to welcome the famed actor to his ancestral homeland.
In memory of his great-grandmother and grandmother, he had the Orthodox Armenian words for angel tattooed on his left forearm, and, luck, which also means fate, on his right. The words were drawn for him by famed Armenian calligrapher Ruben Malayan. “The script is the way my great-grandmother who escaped the genocide would’ve read it,” he told Julie Jordan in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE.
“As a descendant of an Armenian Genocide survivor, I am fully aware of the background to our experience as Armenian Americans and the importance to the Armenian people of keeping its culture alive and thriving. I look forward to the Assembly’s Advocacy Summit, as together we will continue to raise awareness about the existential threats facing the Armenian people,” said Manganiello.
Manganiello is one of today’s leading Hollywood movie and television industry figures. As the host of NBC’s hit series “Deal or No Deal Island,” he is familiar to millions of television viewers. Manganiello began his professional film career playing Flash Thompson in Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man.” His breakout role was as werewolf Alcide Herveaux in five seasons of the HBO series “True Blood.” Manganiello is also known for his roles in films such as “Magic Mike,” “Magic Mike XXL,” “Pee-wee’s Big Holiday,” “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” “Sabotage” and “Rampage.”
Born in Pittsburgh to Susan (Brachanow) and Charles John Manganiello, he was raised in Mount Lebanon. During high school, he was captain of the football, basketball and volleyball teams, and played at the varsity level in all three. It was during high school that he began writing and directing films with his friends and as a result, became interested in acting. He studied acting at the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama, after which he moved to Los Angeles. His younger brother, Nicholas, is also his producing partner.
