Channing Tatum: 15 Things You Didn’t Know (Part 1)

Channing Tatum has taken the United States entertainment world by storm. First as a dancer, now as an actor (and still as a dancer), he has one of the most recognizable faces in show business. As he continues to become a more serious and respected actor, let’s look back at his life and what happened to take him to where he is today.

Number Fifteen: He is Part Native American. On top of being of Irish and French descent, Channing is also part Native American.

Number Fourteen: He Comes from a Modest Background. He grew up in rural Mississippi, where his father worked a construction job and his mother worked as an airline employee.

Number Thirteen: He Had Trouble Learning. He had learning disabilities growing up, including ADHD and dyslexia. He was medicated for these, but he has stated that they were unhelpful and that he would not have his own children prescribed them.

Number Twelve: He is an Accomplished Martial Artist. This should come as a surprise to no one, given how much he demonstrates his athletic ability on camera. He has trained in Wuyuquan, which is a type of kung fu.

Number Eleven: He Was a Stripper Before He Was an Actor. Many moviegoers will know Channing Tatum from his performance in Steven Soderberg’s Magic Mike, but some probably don’t know that the role wasn’t too much of a stretch for him. At the age of 19, he was a Chippendale-style stripper for a living.

Number Ten: He Hoped to Get a Football Scholarship. When he was a freshman in high school, he was sent to military school. There he joined the football team and received a full athletic scholarship for football at Glenville State College, but he would later drop out.

Number Nine: He Was a Model Before He Was an Actor. You know that he was a model, but did you know that he made the logical next step to model before acting? He modeled for companies like Armani and Dolce & Gabbana before he made it as an actor. Check back for the second half of the list, coming soon…