Channing Tatum has a lot to celebrate when he turns 29 next Sunday. He’s engaged to Jenna Dewan, his pretty co-star from the dance movie “Step Up,” and Friday’s release of “Fighting” kicks off a streak of films the chiseled actor is in this year.In “Fighting,” he stars as a bootlegger who begins street-fighting for large amounts of cash when a sweet-natured con man (Terrence Howard) brings him in.
In the July release of “Public Enemies,” Tatum takes on the role of gangster Pretty Boy Floyd. And he’ll again make good use of his combat skills as the lead soldier, Duke, in “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra,” hitting theaters in August
In the July release of “Public Enemies,” Tatum takes on the role of gangster Pretty Boy Floyd. And he’ll again make good use of his combat skills as the lead soldier, Duke, in “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra,” hitting theaters in August.
You practiced martial arts as a kid. Did that help you with “Fighting” at all?
Yeah, I did Shaolin Goh Chor Kung Fu when I was really young, but that is nothing like street-fighting. It probably helped, but the stuff that I got to learn for the movie was a lot different, a different style.
Did the battle scenes go smoothly?
No, I actually busted up my nose on the movie during the first fight, the Russian fight. And they had to mash it back into place with cold spoons. It was pretty nuts. They put two spoons in an ice bucket and then they just mashed my nose back into place and just kept squeezing it. That was on set, because we had to keep shooting.
In real life, are you the type to walk away from a fight or have you been in some scuffles?
I’m the type to walk away. I’ve been in my fair share of scrapes. But I’m not a tough guy.
Is there something that’s likely to set you off?
If you mess with my family and friends, that’ll get me fighting quicker. If you just insult me, I’m just going to walk away. That’s not something to fight for. I’m like, “Great, call me whatever.” I’ve even been punched in a fight and just been, “All right, cool.” It’s just not worth it. Unless I really feel in danger, or you’re endangering somebody that I love, I’m just not going to fight.
In one of the first scenes, your character hawks bootleg books on a Manhattan street, surrounded by the madness that goes on New York City. Coming from the South, was it weird the first time you came here?
I grew up in Alabama and in Florida and Mississippi, and they’re more suburban towns. I had lived in Miami and someone got me into modeling there, and that took me all around the world and it landed me in New York for 2½ years. I remember when I first moved to New York (about five years ago) — it was huge. The place is bigger than life.
You and Terrence Howard have really good chemistry in the film. Had you ever worked with him before?
I haven’t. But I met him once in Sundance, and it was one of the coolest experiences of my entire life. I remember it like it was yesterday. He looked at me and he recognized me from “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints.” He said, “I got to let you know you did an incredible job in the movie.”
What was that like for you?
It just melted me, because I had been watching him before I was even acting. That was one of the brightest days of my life for sure. It just blew my mind.
You’re playing the sergeant, Duke, in “G.I. Joe.” Did you own the action figures as a kid?
Yeah, I watched the cartoon first and then I got all the action figures after that. I had Duke and Snake Eyes, Ripcord, Roadblock, all of them, The Baroness, Scarlett, Breaker. The cartoon came on right before or after “Thundercats,” and I loved it. It was one of my favorite cartoons ever.
Will the action figures be rereleased in the images of the actors playing them?
They actually are making a doll that looks like me. It’s the weirdest thing you could ever imagine. I don’t even know how to explain it. I haven’t seen a finished version, but I’ve seen the little mold of my head.
Is it true that you read scripts in the bath?
Yeah, it’s like one of my favorite places to read because it’s just quiet and there’s not a TV or phone ringing, or dogs or friends calling.
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