Channing Tatum
Born: April 26, 1980
Hometown: Cullman, Alabama
Height: 6'1"
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Why we love him
Why we love himIf a movie hero were to write us a love letter and then surprise us by showing up at our door wearing a military uniform, we hope that it would be Channing Tatum, the perfect combination of tough guy and hopeless romantic.
He has a fiery-hot past
Before he got paid millions to show off his sexy bod, he used to dance as a stripper in an all-male revue called Male Encounter. Now that's one show we would like to have seen in person — but we can get as close as possible with this old footage!
As for those business types close to Tatum who would rather not have him admit to shaking his groove thang in a thong? "I don't care what they think," he told Details. "I'm happy I did it. I'm not proud, because it's not something to be proud of, but I had an experience that only one out of a thousand — a million — people can say they've ever had. I've been through this crazy sort of life, and I came out the other side fairly unscathed."
We like how he turned out, that's for sure!
He does his own stunts
You know those crazy backflips in Step Up? All Channing. He told GQ: "You know when someone is so nervous about something, it makes you doubt yourself? Like on Step Up, I was going to do this back?ip off the car. That's something I do, like, all the time. I just do back?ips off things. By the time it was time to do it, I was, like, shaking, because everyone was all, 'Are you sure you want to do this?' But then I did it, and it was ?ne."
Or, ummm... much more than fine, from our perspective!
But Chan has a whole lot more going for him than his face : He received critical acclaim for his performance as a streetwise boy from Queens in A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, including a Best Supporting Actor nomination from the Independent Spirit Awards.
He's a small-town kind of guy
Chan isn't a huge fan of the club culture in L.A. — especially when he could be shaking his groove thang down in Tampa, Florida, where he spent his teen years:
"L.A. sucks for going out," he told Details. "Everything here is a 'lounge.' Everyone just sits around at a table, drinking a cocktail, looking at each other. There are no dance clubs. Back in Florida, I'm gonna go into a club, get drunk, get sweaty, dance, have a good time, and get a taxi home. There's no place here that does dancing like that. I miss it, man. I miss it."
We'll challenge you to a dance-off anytime, Chan!
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Channing Tatum's relationship status:
This hottie has been married to his equally good-looking wife, Jenna Dewan , whom he met on the set of Step Up, since July 2009. The two created a production company, 33andOut, together — and they recently starred alongside each other in in this year's high school reunion film, Ten Year. Cutest co-stars ever!
What's next:
Check out Channing Tatum try to win back the heart of his wife, played by Rachel McAdams, who lost her memory after a horrfying car accident in The Vow, on DVD May 8. And up next on the big screen: Magic Mike, an almost true-to-life story of a male dancer. Sign us up!