Channing Tatum Says His 'Lost City' Look Was Inspired by Brad Pitt

The actor shares which classic Brad Pitt part inspired his latest role.

Channing Tatum was inspired by Brad Pitt for his look in The Lost City. During an appearance on Thursday's episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the 41-year-old actor shares what is was like working with Pitt, and which one of his films inspired his character, a romance novel cover model named Dash (Alan), in The Lost City

“I can’t believe I got to work with either one of them,” Tatum says of Pitt and his other co-star, Sandra Bullock. “I met [Brad] once. I’ve ridden motorcycles with him. And again, it’s the same situation, he’s everything you want him to be."

As for Dash (Alan), who is the cover model for romance novels written by Loretta Sage (Bullock), Tatum wanted to look just like one of Pitt's iconic onscreen characters. 

“I gave a note. I have to wear a wig for my cover model sort of look, Dash’s look, and I said ‘I just want to look like Legends of the Fall Brad Pitt. ‘Could you please just make me that? Make me as close to that as you can possibly make me,'" he says of Pitt's role as Tristan Ludlow in the 1993 film. 

Brad Pitt in the 1993 film 'Legends of the Fall.' - Liaison
Channing Tatum as Dash in 'The Lost City.' - Paramount Pictures

In addition to wanting to look like Pitt, Tatum also got to work with him! In The Lost City, Dash (Tatum) comes to Loretta's rescue after she is kidnaped by an eccentric billionaire (Daniel Radcliff). When it becomes obvious that Dash is all looks and no protection, Jack Trainer (Pitt) saves the day.  

Tatum says Pitt didn’t just bring the action, he's also "so funny in this."

"I think people just don’t know how funny he is. I think he’s done comedies but nothing this broad," he shares. "This movie, I love it so much because they don’t make movies like this anymore. It’s Romancing the Stone, it’s more broad. I’m probably more broad in this movie than maybe even in [21] Jump Street."

Tatum adds, “We had so much fun on it. I hope people like it so we can hopefully make another one.” 

Of course, the actor says if the sequel is in the cold, don’t count on another scene with Bullock pulling leeches off his butt. “I don’t know where we’d go because we went to the jungle,” he says. “Doing a butt naked leech scene in the artic or something is not something I’m gonna do. I’m gonna be like, 'Nope, nope, not feeling confident to do that scene again.'"

Earlier this month, Bullock spoke to ET about joining “the butt wagon” and shared what it was like getting up close and personal with Tatum. "After every Magic Mike, everyone's talking about Channing's butt," the actress quipped. "So I just got on the band wagon .. the butt wagon."

Bullock also spoke to ET about how Pitt's hilarious cameo in the film came to be. "I honestly don't know Brad that well, we just keep doing each other favors. And we don't really know each other," said Bullock, who also stars with Pitt in the upcoming Bullet Train movie. "I think we were probably past life friends or something."

She added, "For some reason, he asks for help, I show up. I ask for help, he shows up. Maybe [a] mutual respect club, I don't know."

The Lost City hits theaters on Friday, March 25. 

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