Channing Tatum hustled as a stripper before joining Hollywood(Photo Credit –Instagram)
In a recent ET interview (via Today.com), the 42-year-old shared that he’s ready to talk about his stripper past with his 9-year-old daughter, Everly. “When she’s old enough to watch them, we’ll have that conversation,” he said about the Magic Mike movies inspired by his real-life experiences. “There’s no version of me not having the conversation of ‘Dad didn’t just do (it) in movies; I was an actual stripper.’ I’m not gonna lie to her.”
While Tatum is candid with his daughter, he jokes that Everly “probably already knows.” Channing Tatum’s stripping past is the stuff of Magic Mike and Magic Mike XXL lore. His ex-wife, Jenna Dewan, was one of the first to hear about it. “I don’t know. I’m not shy about it,” he recalled. Dewan’s reaction? Unfazed. “Weirdly enough, girls ask less questions than guys do,” Tatum noted.
Tatum’s stripper career wasn’t a glamorous escape from fame. He dived into exotic dancing at 19, struggling with ADHD and dyslexia while juggling menial jobs. “I fell into exotic dancing after hearing an ad on the radio,” he said. His days as “Chan Crawford” were marked by more than just dancing; they involved partying and experimenting with alcohol, though he clarified, “Never the big ones-crack or heroin. I never OD’d or anything. Never.”
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The cash wasn’t as flashy as you’d think. On a good night, Tatum made $150; on a bad one, just $50. But he was more into the lifestyle than the money. “I was attracted to the underbelly—the partying, drinking, and risk,” he admitted.
Tatum’s experience even inspired scenes in Magic Mike XXL, where his character heads to a stripper convention. Tatum reminisced about attending a similar event in the late 1990s, describing it as a chaotic gathering with “50 to 70 strippers and 2,000 to 3,000 women.” He recalled a particularly memorable moment: “The lady goes, ‘Oh my God! Look at you! You remind me of my nephew!’—and then grabs me.”
So, next time you watch Magic Mike and think about Tatum’s moves, remember: they’re inspired by a chapter of his life that’s as real as it gets.
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The post Channing Tatum On Talking About His “Stripper” Days To Daughter, “When She’s Old Enough To Watch Them…” appeared first on Koimoi.
