Joe Manganiello has "always" wanted to be a dad.

The 47-year-old actor - who split from Sofia Vergara after a decade of marriage earlier this year and is now dating Caitlin O'Connor - has made it clear with all his "serious" partners that he hopes to have a family of his own and he's not given up on his dream of being a parent.

Speaking on the latest episode of the 'Podcrushed' podcast, he said: “It's something that's definitely on the docket.

“That was never not on the table. At every stage in life that was always something that was always talked about.

“That was always on the forefront of any serious relationship that I got into.”

The ‘True Blood’ star also joked on the episode that he has “big dad energy” and has “a lot to give in that department.”

Joe’s comments come after his ex-wife, ‘Modern Family’ star Sofia, previously claimed that the marriage came to an end because he wanted children and she did not but the ‘Magic Mike’ star later insisted that wasn't the case.

He told Men's Journal magazine: "That’s simply not true. We did try to have a family for the first year and a half. And we had a huge conversation right out of the gate during the first month we dated. I said, ‘If you're done with kids, then I understand. Just tell me, and I'll know what this is, and that's okay.’ But that wasn't the case with her. And I swore to her that I would never leave if it didn't work out. And I didn't.

"That wasn't inevitably why everything ended. It's because two people grew apart, and sometimes that happens."

The 52-year-old actress - who has 32-year-old Manolo from a previous relationship - had claimed she and Joe split because she didn't want to be an "old mom" to a baby.

She told Spanish publication El Pais: “My marriage broke up because my husband was younger; he wanted to have kids and I didn’t want to be an old mom.

"I feel it’s not fair to the baby. I respect whoever does it, but that’s not for me anymore.

"I had a son at 19, who is now 32, and I’m ready to be a grandmother, not a mother. So, if love comes along, he has to come with [his own] children. I'm also in menopause - it's the natural way of things."