Some of the fitness and diet routines that actor Channing Tatum followed during the filming of Tatum’s physique has played a part in his rise to fame. This isn’t to say that his acting talents and natural comedic sensibilities haven’t also been essential to his popularity, but Tatum’s extremely muscular build has consistently been a big part of his career.
Much of this comes from what would arguably be described as Tatum’s breakthrough role in 2012’s Magic Mike. The film told the story of a down on his luck builder (Tatum) who takes on exotic dancing as a means to pay his bills. The film was a huge hit – so big, in fact, that it prompted a 2015 sequel, reality TV series on HBO Max. Unlike other actors whose clear dedication to fitness has resulted in strictly action star status, Tatum has often stuck closer to comedy with his film choices, sometimes mixing in elements of action and adventure like in his most recent film, The Lost City.
Obviously, Tatum’s physique didn’t simply happen overnight, and while his co-stars on any given project have to commit to the usual acting protocols, Tatum’s regimen is often far more strenuous since he also has to maintain his physique. For The Lost City, his character of Dash, aka Alan, is largely seen as a sex symbol. As a result, Tatum had to ensure that he remained in peak physical condition. During a recent game of Most Likely To with the cast of The Lost City on MTV UK’s official YouTube channel, directors Aaron and Adam Nee spoke about some of the fitness routines that they made Tatum stick to during filming:
“We just like, tortured him to get into shape on this movie. He worked so hard. Like, watching him eat his chicken and rice with just, like, no salt and a little bit of butter every day and the sad look on his face, but he would swim two miles in the ocean every day so he’d be walking around the beach looking beautiful.”
Tatum’s fans will likely agree that he was well suited for the role, though this wasn’t just due to his physical condition. His character offers a genuinely funny take on romance novel heartthrobs like the somewhat renowned Fabio Lanzoni, but with hair like Brad Pitt’s in Legends of the Fall. In fact, Tatum had specifically requested Pitt’s look, and co-star Sandra Bullock has itted that Tatum’s comedic ways made her laugh so hard - particularly when he was ad-libbing lines – that some scenes they shared had to be scrapped. All of this shows that Tatum’s onscreen abilities go far beyond simply looking good.
Learning just what Tatum had to go through in order to get the thumbs up from The Lost City’s directors shines a bit more light on what it means to be one of Hollywood’s most physically fit stars. Despite what some may think, going to the gym is just one aspect of the dedicated process required. But, of course, there’s much more to Tatum’s appeal than just being muscular. Although he’s currently preparing for a third Magic Mike film, hopefully his comedic sensibilities will continue to lead him down hilarious new paths.
Source: MTV UK
