Channing Tatum is an actor who has made the most of his good looks but has also been able to surprise many critics with his natural comedic talent. He is best known for his role in the Magic Mike movie franchise – a role that was loosely based on his own experiences while working as a stripper in Tampa, Florida.
A keen football player in his youth, Tatum may well be interested in the online betting sites in Alabama – his home state. But he is probably too busy acting and producing in Hollywood blockbusters these days. He is currently one of the hottest stars in the movie business.
Channing Tatum is an excellent example of a celebrity who has really worked hard to get to a privileged position. He has also shown how limiting actors to stereotypes is never a good idea, as Tatum has managed to forge a successful career performing in comedy dramas, as well as all his other achievements.
Channing Tatum Early Life
Channing Tatum was born on April 26, 1980, in Cullman, Alabama. His father was a construction worker, while his mother worked in the airline industry. He has one sister, named Paige.
When Tatum was just six, his family moved to live in the rural idyll of the bayous of Pascagoula, Mississippi. But by the time he reached his teenage years, the family had moved again – this time to Tampa, Florida. He graduated in 1998 – with his fellow students voting him “Most Athletic” – and attended Glenville State College in West Virginia on a football scholarship. He dropped out before graduating and returned to Tampa.
It was in Tampa that Tatum began to work as a stripper and it was his experiences in the industry that inspired him to want to make a movie about the life. That idea was eventually turned into the script for Magic Mike, a film that catapulted Tatum into the big league of Hollywood stardom.
Career: What Does Channing Tatum Do?
It would take a while before Magic Mike made it to the big screen, however. Initially, Tatum moved to Miami, where he was discovered by a model scout. That led to modeling work and a first screen role as a dancer in a Ricky Martin video.
Although Tatum’s first acting roles in TV and films date back to 2004, his first real big break came with his performance in 2006’s She’s the Man. He continued to put his physique and dancing skills to good use, starring in a number of action and dance films over the next few years before he really shot to stardom with 2012’s Magic Mike.
He also starred alongside Jonah Hill in the movie adaptation of 21 Jump Street that year. However, he had already begun getting into the production side of the film industry and had started to exert a little more control over the projects that he was involved in. He also continued to work with Steven Soderbergh, as well as appearing in sequels for the GI Joe, Magic Mike, and 21 Jump Street movies.
What is Channing Tatum’s Net Worth?
Tatum has come a long way since stripping for money in Florida. All the hard work has paid off though. It is estimated that Channing Tatum’s net worth is now around the $80 million mark. He is consistently one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood and also earns money from producing movies.
The Magic Mike franchise has been one of Tatum’s biggest earners, bringing in around $90 million. He may well have ended up earning far less for his involvement in those films if it was not for the way that he and director Steven Soderbergh financed the movie. Instead of allowing Warner Bros to come up with the money and take the profits, Tatum and Soderbergh spent $7 million of their own money making the film and paid a flat fee for distribution. That resulted in the pair enjoying a big payday when the movie became so successful.
Channing Tatum’s Personal Life and Relationships
Tatum met Jenna Dewan on the set of Step Up in 2006 and married three years later in Malibu, California. In 2013 they had a daughter but the couple are now divorced after separating in 2018. Tatum dated singer Jessie J for two years but started dating Zoë Kravitz in 2021. The couple announced their engagement last year.
The Future for Channing Tatum
Now a bona fide Hollywood A-lister, Channing Tatum can look forward to a bright future. He has a number of movies in the works – and continues to be involved in producing films as well.
He has been able to prove that he can cover a number of genres and continues to be one of the most bankable actors for comedy dramas, dance movies, and voice acting.
