Credit: Press
Say what you want about Channing Tatum: versatile actor, or just a guy who looks great with his shirt off, take your pick.
Either way, at this point, he’s basically a Hollywood fixture, in the best way. People love to write him off as one thing, some himbo action-comedy guy, but, over the years, he’s built a resume that jumps from serious drama to dumb comedy to kids’ stuff without ever feeling like a stretch.
A career on this scale has afforded Tatum the chance to work with some of the best directors around. One of his earliest uncredited roles was as an extra in Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds. Collaborations with Michal Mann, Roland Emmerich, and the Wachowskis all followed, as well as films helmed by various up-and-comers.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Tatum revealed that filmmakers are people that he looks up to, perhaps more than anyone else, even if he can come across as a bit annoying sometimes on set.
“You’re always trying to figure out, ‘Why am I doing this, what do I want in this scene?’ That’s what I ask my directors all the time,” he said. “I love taking direction from anyone and everyone.”
One director who has factored into his career many times is Steven Soderbergh. Their most famous collaboration is certainly Magic Mike, which was inspired by Tatum’s history as a stripper. They worked together again on Side Effects, Logan Lucky, and Magic Mike’s Last Dance. Soderbergh had sat out the second film in the trilogy, Gregory Jacobs’ Magic Mike XXL, but returned for the finale.
The first time these two joined forces was on Soderbergh’s 2011 film Haywire. Starring a pre-controversy Gina Carano, the film follows a private investigator who seeks revenge in violent fashion after being betrayed by her employers. Tatum plays the main character’s associate who eventually sells her out. The rest of the cast includes Antonio Banderas, Ewan McGregor, and Michael Douglas, among others.
While I’m sure he was handsomely compensated for his work, Tatum admitted that the main reason he took the gig was to observe an Oscar-winning filmmaker in his natural habitat. “I just wanted to watch him do what he does,” he said of Soderbergh during the Los Angeles Times interview. “I learned a stupid amount. A stupid amount.”
Whatever he learned on the set of Haywire and any subsequent Soderbergh shoots clearly went in. Tatum made his directorial debut when he co-helmed (alongside Reid Carolin) the 2022 road movie, Dog. The film follows Tatum’s character, a soldier, travelling across the United States to reunite a military dog with the family of a fallen comrade. Despite having the worst name of any film ever, Dog was a success both critically and commercially.
Tatum has built his entire career from making the most out of opportunities most people wouldn’t even notice. Taking the time to observe and learn from directors like Steven Soderbergh has served him incredibly well. His story is a reminder that learning from the best can take you a long way.
