His name is Channing Tatum and back in 2006 he wowed us with his street dance moves in Step Up. It didn't take long before audiences and Hollywood became enamored with Tatum, who can be seen this weekend saving the commander in chief in White House Down. To celebrate the release of his new film, we look back at those special moments that made us fall for Channing Tatum.
By Elisa Osegueda
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Dancing King - Step Up
You couldn’t ask for a better dance partner. Strong, edgy and a bit quirky, Tatum busted all the right moves in Step Up. He plays a young lost teen from a rough neighborhood in Baltimore. After vandalizing the auditorium at the Maryland School of the Arts, he’s forced to do community service at the school. There he meets Nora, an aspiring ballerina, and together they learn a few life lessons. Tatum’s co-star, Jenna Dewan, actually became his wife in 2009.
Abs of Steel – She’s the Man
Tatum switches gears in She’s the Man, costarring with Amanda Bynes in a teen romantic comedy. Tatum plays a hunky college soccer player who ends up becoming Bynes’s college roommate. Infatuated with joining the men’s soccer team, Bynes assumes her brother’s identity. As if the plot couldn’t get more twisted, Bynes falls for Tatum, but how couldn’t she? He spends most of the movie without his shirt on.
Underground Street-Fighter – Fighting
Struggling to survive in the Big Apple, Shawn MacArthur (Tatum) makes an unfortunate alliance with scam artist Harvey Boarden (Terrance Howard). With the help of Harvey, Shawn quickly makes a name for himself in the street-fighting scene. While a couple of those hard hitting punches can be a bit hard on the eyes, the fact that Tatum can also throw some hard hits gives us another reason to salute him.
Bad Boy – Public Enemies
Tatum plays the iconic criminal Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd in Public Enemies, starring Johnny Depp as John Dillinger and Christian Bale as Melvin Purvis. Tatum didn’t have much of a speaking role but his character was legendary. This gangster formed his own bank robbing gang, and soon became an FBI target after causing the Kansas City Massacre. Floyd was finally taken down by Purvis, who was then assigned to take down Dillinger.
Elite Soldier - G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
There isn’t much to say—he’s a G.I. Joe. You can’t get any tougher or stronger. Tatum stars with Dennis Quaid and a leading cast, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marlon Wayans and Sienna Miller.
Dear John
There are a couple of reasons why Dear John makes us swoon for Tatum. He plays a soft-spoken Special Forces soldier who falls head over heels for Savannah (Amanda Seyfried), and in only a few weeks before he’s deployed, he shows a series of great qualities.
Dear John
Reason No. 1 - He enjoys playing with children.
Dear John
Reason No. 2 - The boy can catch some killer waves.
Dear John
Reason No. 3 - He loves his father unconditionally.
Dear John
Reason No. 4 - He’s willing to commit to a long distance relationship.
A Roman - The Eagle
It just doesn't get any sexier than this. Tatum plays a British Roman soldier who fiercely tries to honor his father’s memory.
Police Officer - The Son of No One
We’re giving Tatum two thumbs up for making a dangerous neighborhood safer in Son of No One. He plays a young cop assigned to a precinct in the working class neighborhood where he grew up, little does he know a secret from the past threatens to destroy his life.
Hopeless Romantic - The Vow
After a tragic car accident that erases Paige’s (Rachel McAdams) memory Leo (Tatum) tries everything in his power to win his wife’s love all over again.
Male Stripper - Magic Mike
Honestly, do we really have to say much more than male stripper? When he's not twerkin' on stage, Mike is magically building abstract furniture with rando junk that washes up on the Floridian beaches... so he's handy as well! Ladies, get in line.
Patriotic Hero - White House Down
When the White House comes under attack, it's up to our one-and-only Channing to save the President of the United States (Jamie Foxx) from the freedom-hating hands of terrorists.
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