Fans of 'True Blood and 'How I Met Your Mother' know doubt recognize that the chiseled Joe Manganiello guested in early season before making a bigger name for himself on the sexy HBO drama as Alcide Herveaux.  We were excited to hear that Manganiello would reprise his role as Marshall's law school chum Brad, but that was before we got a load of the first picture from his November 5 appearance in "Splitsville!"  Has the buff star finally let himself go?

While we still don't yet know if the current eighth season of 'How I Met Your Mother' will be the last, former guest stars are certainly making the rounds to put in return appearances.  Next up on November 5's "Splitsville" will be the return of Marshall's law school colleague Brad, played by now-famed 'True Blood' star Joe Manganiello, though he's looking a little different these days.

In the below first-look photo from Entertainment Weekly, Marshall seeks out Brad to offer him a job at his eco-firm, but finds that Brad has fallen on hard times, however soft he's gotten.  Naturally, the show outfitted the always-buff Manganiello with a prosthetic gut, but the hair and beard...well, he always looks like that now.

Said co-star Jason Segel of the transformation: “Just knowing that Joe has that crazy body underneath that fake gut that we put on him — it’s just hilarious to me. He has no sense of vanity despite having every right to have one."  Check out the photo below, and see Manganiello's return on Monday, November 5 in "How I Met Your Mother's "Splitsville!"

How I Met Your Mother Season 8 Joe Manganiello
CBS / Entertainment Weekly
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