Channing Tatum is one of Hollywood’s most recognizable actors. He has starred in a variety of films, from the romantic comedy The Vow to the action-packed franchise Magic Mike. He has also ventured into producing and directing with his own production company, Free Association. But who exactly is Channing Tatum?
Tatum was born on April 26th, 1980 in Cullman County, Alabama. Growing up he was an avid athlete playing football and soccer while attending Tampa Catholic High School in Florida where he graduated in 1998. After graduating high school he went on to attend Glenville State College before transferring to University of South Florida for two years but eventually dropped out due to financial issues.
At 19 years old Tatum moved to Miami Beach where he began working as a stripper under the name “Chan Crawford” at a local male strip club named Club XS which ultimately led him down his path towards acting stardom when he was discovered by a talent agent while performing at another club called Male Encounter soon after. His first role came when Rick Salomon casted him for an uncredited part in 2001’s “The Wedding Planner”. From there Tatum continued appearing in various movies until 2006 when his career really took off with leading roles such as Step Up (2006), Fighting (2009), Dear John (2010) and 21 Jump Street (2012).
Tatum has since gone on to star in many more successful films including Magic Mike XXL (2015), Foxcatcher (2014), and White House Down (2013). In addition, Tatum produced and directed several films through his production company Free Association along with producing television shows like Lip Sync Battle which aired from 2015-2019.
He started his career as a dancer, appearing in music videos and touring with Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera. He made his film debut in the drama film Coach Carter (2005). He subsequently starred in the action film G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009) and its sequel G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013). He also starred as Greg Jenko in the buddy cop action comedy film 21 Jump Street (2012) and its sequel 22 Jump Street (2014). In 2015, Tatum starred in the romantic drama The Vow and the action comedy White House Down. He also played the lead role in the history drama Foxcatcher (2014).
Tatum was born in Cullman, Alabama, the son of Kay (née Fahey), an airline worker, and Glenn Tatum, who worked in construction. He has a sister, Paige. Tatum has English, Irish, and German ancestry. His family moved to Mississippi when he was six. He grew up in the small town of Cullman, and has credited his upbringing for teaching him many life lessons, saying “My parents taught me about manners and respect, and they definitely taught me the difference between right and wrong.”
Tatum spent most of his childhood in the small town of Benson, Mississippi. He has said that dancing saved him from a tough life in Mississippi, where he grew up “poor, with a single mother who worked two jobs just to make ends meet.
I danced every day growing up, whether it was ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, you name it. I just loved to move.” Tatum recalls that one of his first jobs was as a replacement dancer for Justin Timberlake at dick clark’s American Bandstand theater.
At the age of 18, Tatum moved to Miami, where he started his career as a fashion model. He appeared in various television commercials, including one for Pizza Hut in 2005. That same year, he made his film debut in Coach Carter. In 2006, he appeared in She’s the Man, playing opposite Amanda Bynes. He also appeared in A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, opposite Robert Downey Jr. and Rosario Dawson.
In 2008, Tatum played in the drama film Stop-Loss. The following year, he appeared in the action film G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, based on the toy franchise of the same name. He subsequently starred in its sequel, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, in 2013. Also in 2009, Tatum played in the ensemble romantic comedy film Dear John, opposite Amanda Seyfried. The following year, he starred in the romantic drama The Vow, opposite Rachel McAdams.
In 2012, Tatum starred in the action comedy film 21 Jump Street, an adaptation of the 1980s television series of the same name. He co-starred opposite Jonah Hill, and the film was a critical and commercial success. The following year, he starred in the action comedy film White House Down, opposite Jamie Foxx.
In 2014, Tatum starred in the sports drama film Foxcatcher, opposite Steve Carell and Mark Ruffalo. The film was a critical and commercial success. That same year, he reprised his role as Greg Jenko in the sequel to 21 Jump Street, 22 Jump Street.
In 2015, Tatum starred in the action comedy film Magic Mike XXL, a sequel to the 2012 film Magic Mike. The film was a critical and commercial success.
Tatum has been married to actress Jenna Dewan since 2009. The couple have two children together.
