25 Nov 2023, 00:00

Channing Tatum is an American actor who has starred in films like '21 Jump Street,' 'Magic Mike' and 'Foxcatcher.'

Who Is Channing Tatum?

Actor Channing Tatum first appeared in front of a camera professionally as a fashion model. He began acting in 2004 with an appearance on CSI: Miami, and went on to earn starring roles in films like G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009) and 21 Jump Street (2012). Tatum has often paired with director Steven Soderbergh, who featured the chiseled actor in Magic Mike (2012). Tatum has also starred in the acclaimed drama Foxcatcher (2014) and provided voice work for animated fare like The Lego Movie (2014).

Early Life

Channing Tatum was born on April 26, 1980, in Cullman, Alabama, later moving to Wetumpka and then Mississippi when he was six years old. Tatum attended Gaither High School in Tampa, Florida, and transferred to Tampa Catholic High School after his sophomore year. Upon graduation, he was offered a football scholarship to Glenville State College in West Virginia but dropped out soon after enrolling to pursue other interests.

Movies and TV Shows

Tatum was discovered on the streets of Miami and signed with a modeling agency, soon appearing in print ads for brands such as Nautica, Gap, American Eagle Outfitters and Abercrombie & Fitch. His first job in front of a motion picture camera came when he was cast as a dancer in Ricky Martin's "She Bangs" music video. Tatum also starred in a few television commercials for companies such as Pepsi and Mountain Dew.

The dancer and model began his acting career in 2004, with a small role in CSI: Miami. He then decided to pursue acting full time, and his first feature film role came the next year in the drama Coach Carter, opposite Samuel L. Jackson. That same year, Tatum had small roles in Havoc, Supercross and Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds.

'Step Up,' 'A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints'

Tatum had a big 2006, landing the lead roles in Step Up and She's the Man. He also enjoyed a primary role in A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, which won the Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and landed Tatum nominations for both Gotham and Independent Spirit awards.

'G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra'

After acting in four films in 2007 and 2008, Tatum hit the big screen in 2009 with two high-profile projects: G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and Michael Mann's Public Enemy, which also starred Johnny Depp and Christian Bale. 

'21 Jump Street'

Showing his range as an actor, Tatum's next roles were a change of pace from the action dramas of 2009, as he took the lead in the romantic drama Dear John and appeared in the comedy The Dilemma. Around this time, he was also in Haywire (an action film), The Vow (a romance) and 21 Jump Street (a comedic action film), routinely refusing to pigeonhole himself as an actor.

'Magic Mike,' '22' and 'Foxcatcher' 

In 2012, Tatum found himself once again working with Steven Soderbergh (who directed him in Havoc) with Magic Mike, a film about an enterprising male stripper. Tatum's 2013 schedule saw him reprising his role as Duke in G.I. Joe: Retaliation, and brought him and Soderbergh together for a third time in The Bitter Pill. 

In 2014, Tatum was heard lending his voice to animated fare like The Lego Movie and The Book of Life, while also co-starring in the blockbuster sequel 22 Jump Street. Seen on screens in the fall, Tatum portrayed wrestler Mark Schultz in the critically acclaimed drama Foxcatcher, co-starring Steve Carell and Mark Ruffalo. 

In 2015, Tatum returned to his very popular role as a male stripper in the sequel Magic Mike XXL. That year, he also starred in the sci-fi epic Jupiter Ascending and had a supporting part in the Quentin Tarantino Western The Hateful Eight.

'Hail, Caesar!,' 'Logan Lucky'

Remaining busy with his usual array of roles, Tatum featured prominently in the Coen brothers' Hail, Caesar! (2016), reunited with Soderbergh for the heist comedy Logan Lucky (2017) and returned to voice work for The Lego Batman Movie (2017), Smallfoot (2018) and The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019). Additionally, the actor signed on for a remake of the 1980s classic Splash.

Wife & Daughter

Channing began dating actress and dancer Jenna Dewan after they met on the set of Step Up. They married in July 2009, and had a daughter, Everly, in May 2013.

On April 2, 2018, the couple released a joint statement announcing their separation. "We fell deeply in love so many years ago and have had a magical journey together," they wrote. "Absolutely nothing has changed about how much we love one another, but love is a beautiful adventure that is taking us on different paths for now. There are no secrets nor salacious events at the root of our decision — just two best-friends realizing it’s time to take some space and help each other live the most joyous, fulfilled lives as possible."

Channing began dating British singer Jessie J later that year, though the two had gone their separate ways by the end of 2019.

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