Channing Tatum Reveals What It Takes to Be Magic Mike (It's More Than Just Stripping!)

By
Esquire

There's no doubt Channing Tatum is playing the role he was born for as Magic Mike. With his built physique, dashing good looks and killer dance moves, it may seem like his male stripper alter ego in Magic Mike XXL is all natural, but his part entails more than meets the eye. 

The 34-year-old actor dishes to Esquire all about how he is currently preparing for the role that leaves so many drooling.

Esquire

Preparation starts with "the stripper's diet." He says, "I would like a beer. I would like to have some crab. I love eating. But this is what I'm doing right now." What he’s doing is eating half of one chicken breast with water. 


PHOTOS: The First Look at Channing Tatum in 'Magic Mike XXL'

It's not just the food, though. He must maintain the workout regimen and attend dance rehearsals twice a day, by himself and with the group.

Those dance rehearsals sound like a lot of fun, "There are a lot of apologies. A lot of 'I'm sorry that ran into your chin' and 'Let me take my thigh off your neck.'" We imagine they must be even more awkward as Tatum recently promised that he got his costar Joe Manganiello naked as much as possible! 

Now, if you’re thinking all you have to do is eat healthier and attend a couple dance rehearsals a day, think again.

Esquire

Tatum, 34, has been preparing his whole life for this type of dancing — not only with his real-life stripper past, but also some moves he picked up from older women.


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"I wanted to dance. I just didn't know anything. Neither did the girls I was seeing. But their moms did,"  he tells the mag. "I figured out the fastest way for me to learn to dance was to grab up some abuela and get her moving on the porch."

It wasn't just the abuelas that Tatum ended up dancing with, either. He says, "I mostly learned to dance by hanging out in clubs and grinding on girls."

Whether the women were old or young, Tatum was practicing way before Magic Mike, and all of this life experience made him the perfect candidate for the role. It also doesn’t hurt that he starred in Step Up six years prior, a movie set where all the dancing turned into a real-life love story. Channing married his co-star from the movie, Jenna Dewan. 

Even though we've seen him dance before, this time sounds more exciting than ever before. He further builds the anticipation for the Magic Mike sequel by saying, "I'm like T-minus I –don’t-know-what- to being naked all the time."

T-Minus seven months!


Magic Mike XXL
is set to be released on July 1, 2015.

Check out the video below to see what Channing told ET about showing "more skin."

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