Hollywood Actor Joe Manganiello Discusses His Armenian Roots and His Grandmother's Survival from Genocide

American actor Joe Manganiello shared the story of his grandmother, a survivor of the Armenian Genocide, in an interview with PBS. According to The People, he recounted, "In 1915, during World War I, the Turks entered her home and sought to continue the genocide they had begun. They executed her husband and mother. Seven of her children were killed by seven other shots."

The 47-year-old actor revealed that his grandmother pretended to be dead, lying motionless on the floor until the Turks left the house, having left her eighth child in the cradle to die of starvation. After their departure, she tied the baby to her back and escaped.

Joe Manganiello has starred in films such as 'Spider-Man', 'Magic Mike', 'What to Expect When You're Expecting', 'Sabotage', and the TV series 'True Blood'.