Insisting that the stripper film's not based on his past experience, Tatum claims, '[The plot] has nothing to do with me other than that there's an 18, 19-year-old kid coming into this world.'
- May 18, 2012
AceShowbiz -
While people have been branding "Magic Mike" a male stripper movie inspired by the life story of Channing Tatum, the actor himself insisted that the Steven Soderbergh-directed pic has nothing to do with his life. The husband of Jenna Dewan additionally admitted that he actually never enjoyed taking off his clothes on stage.
"This movie isn't about my life," Tatum said in a cover interview for the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly. "[The plot] has nothing to do with me other than that there's an 18, 19-year-old kid coming into this world. That's it. [But] I think the world is pretty damn accurate. Everything you see in the movie is stuff that I saw."
About his own past as a male stripper, the 32-year-old actor shared, "I never enjoyed the taking-the-clothes-off part. You are on a stage with people yelling at you, and you feel you're a rock star, but you're nothing - you're just a guy taking off his clothes, looking like a fool in a stupid outfit."
During the chat, Tatum also gushed about his co-star Joe Manganiello whom he dubbed the magnet in the dramedy. "With Joe Manganiello in a movie, I think even straight guys are going to be, 'S**t, I need to see that," he joked before adding, "That man is a specimen."
While Tatum thought Manganiello was the most appealing stripper in "Magic Mike", his co-star Matthew McConaughey gushed that his character Dallas was the hottest. "Dallas of course," he enthused. "Everybody was pretty damn ripped already, but boy, if you really want to get men in great shape, just tell them they're going to play male strippers in a movie and have their s**t onscreen for the rest of time. Vanity, baby."
In "Magic Mike", Tatum stars as Mike Matingano, who takes a young dancer named the Kid as his protege. Mike teaches the newbie some fine arts of partying, picking up ladies and making easy money. Starring as the rookie stripper is Alex pettyfer.
The drama comedy has been set to close the 18th Annual Los Angeles Film Festival on June 24. It will open wide in theaters across the U.S. five days later on June 29.
