Joe Manganiello’s Alcohol Problem

Joe Manganiello has revealed his struggle with alcohol in his 20s.

"There was a period of about four years where I needed to quit drinking," the True Blood actor told the website, adding that drinking "got in the way [of my career]...I had to clean up my act and figure that whole situation out."

When he was asked if he still drinks, he said "No, it's been over 11 years."

He also shared his struggle to get sober. "My life was ruined. I was homeless, careless and broke with no career, so yes, it was worth it [to get sober]."

The actor also revealed that he was bullied as a teenager.

"Failure became a huge part of my success story," Manganiello expounded. "Now, you hear about these soccer games kids play when goals aren't counted. Everybody gets the orange slice and the pat on the back and everybody says 'Good job!' And that wasn't the case for me and I think I benefited from that. I'm glad that I lost, I'm glad that I failed, I'm glad that I felt that way and decided to do something about it....I never wanted to feel that way again and it drove me."

The actor is the author of a new book titled Evolution: The Cutting Edge Guide to Breaking Down Mental Walls and Building the Body You've Always Wanted.

The final season of True Blood will premiere in 2014.

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