Fresh from his jump into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Le Diable Blanc Remy Lebeau in Deadpool and Wolverine, Channing Tatum is back — or, if he’d ever left in the first place. Tatum’s brilliant performance as Gambit in his brief cameo earned him critical acclaim and reaffirmed his place in the hearts and souls of those who watched and loved him in the films that defined his decades-long career. With the prospects of a Gambit film hanging in the balance, let’s take a look at Channing Tatum’s career-defining roles and net worth.
Channing Tatum may have taken a more low-key approach to career advancement in recent years, but the actor’s fans have praised his performances throughout his stellar two-decade career. His affable personality and “nice guy” persona, both of which suit him well and are generally considered to be fine, have allowed Tatum’s career and reputation to survive intact thus far, a truly remarkable feat considering Hollywood’s tendency to bring out the worst in its marquee actors. In short, Channing Tatum is one of Hollywood’s most beloved actors, and for good reason.
Born April 26, 1980, Channing Tatum was born into poverty. The 44-year-old actor, originally from Cullman, Alabama, is of Irish, French and German descent. His parents, Glenn and Kay Tatum (née Faust), were a construction worker and an airline employee, respectively. When he was six, Tatum’s family, along with Channing’s sister Paige, moved to rural Pascagoula, Mississippi, where he picked up bayou traits, mannerisms and an accent.
As a child, Tatum struggled in school, hampered by the pitfalls of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and dyslexia. Despite this, the young actor thrived in a variety of athletic sports, from football and soccer to track and baseball. He was named the Most Athlete of the Year at Tampa Catholic High School’s graduation in 1998, proving an athletic prowess that would serve him incredibly well later in life.
Tatum briefly attended Glenville State College in West Virginia, where he received a football scholarship, but eventually dropped out. He then took odd jobs, including as a roofer and as a stripper at a local nightclub, where he was nicknamed “Chan Crawford”. Tatum’s dancing skills, combined with his unique charm and confidence, led to him appearing in Ricky Martin’s music video for “She Bangs” in 2000, for which he was paid $400. With this foothold, Tatum moved into television advertising slots, appearing in ads for Mountain Dew and Pepsi the same year.
Tatum eventually moved to Miami where he was discovered by a model scout and began his modeling career. He signed with Page 305 (Page Parkes Modeling Agency) and appeared in advertising campaigns for big name brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Dolce & Gabbana, and Emporio Armani. After his early success as a model, Tatum signed with Ford Models in New York City, expanding his portfolio and solidifying himself as a memorable face, which then opened the door to bigger opportunities.
Channing Tatum’s career-defining role
Tatum appeared in several supporting roles from 2004 to 2005, from CSI: Miami (2004) and Coach Carter (2005) to War of the Worlds (2005), but it was in 2006 that he got his big break. He shot to superstardom when he landed the lead male role in the romantic comedy She’s the Man (2006), starring alongside teen star Amanda Bynes. The show proved to be the perfect platform for Tatum to showcase his comedic timing and his incredible physique. In the show, Tatum plays Duke, a high school football captain who falls for the boyish Bynes’ Viola, who impersonates her twin brother to join the football team in order to get a chance to play sports. For his performance as Duke, Tatum won the 2006 Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie: Male Breakout Star.
That same year, Tatum landed the next big role in his acting career, playing the fast-footed felon Tyler Gage in Step It Up (2006). The show was a showcase for Tatum’s dancing, but it also had another important reason: it was on the show that Tatum met his future wife, Jenna Dewan. The two married in 2009 and sadly split in 2019 after 10 years of marriage and one daughter.
In 2009, Tatum played the role of Pretty Boy Floyd in Public Enemies, co-starring with Hollywood A-listers such as Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Carey Mulligan and David Wenham, and in the same year, he starred as Duke in G.I. Joe, for which he won the 2010 Teen Choice Award for Best Action Movie Actor.
Two years later, Tatum showed off his talents in romantic dramas in The Vow (2012), co-starring alongside Rachel McAdams, for which he was nominated for Best Male Performance and Best Kiss at the 2012 MTV Movie & TV Awards and Favorite On-Screen Chemistry at the 2013 People’s Choice Awards. He also starred as Jenko in 21 Jump Street (2012), for which he won a Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor – Comedy.
Drawing inspiration from his time as a stripper, Tatum went on to star in one of his career-defining films, Magic Mike (2012). In taking on the lead role, Tatum used his extensive knowledge of the stripper world to brilliantly juggle his dancing talents and comedic chops.
In 2013, Tatum reprised his role as Duke in G.I. Joe: Retaliation. A year later, in 2014, he starred alongside Mark Ruffalo in the American biographical thriller sports film Foxcatcher, in which he played Olympic wrestler Mark Schultz, opposite Ruffalo’s Dave Schultz. The film received critical acclaim for its visual style and tone, the performances of its three leads, and Bennett Miller’s direction. It was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards and five Academy Awards. Tatum won a special award at the 2015 Independent Spirit Awards for his role as Mark Schultz. The cast also won the Hollywood Ensemble of the Year award at the 2014 Hollywood Film Awards.
Tatum then reprised his role as Jenko in 22 Jump Street (2014) and returned to his most iconic character, Mike, in Magic Mike XXL (2015). He then appeared as Jodie in The Hateful Eight (2015), Tequila in Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017), and reprised his role as Mike Lane in Magic Mike: The Last Dance (2023).
Channing Tatum’s decade-long journey to making Gambit a reality
While the internet is obsessed with Tatum’s performance as Gambit in Deadpool & Wolverine, the actor has had a decade-long dream of playing Remy LeBeau on the silver screen, and with memes of his iconic performance spreading across social media platforms from TikTok to Instagram, it wouldn’t be surprising if fans would see Tatum reprising his role as the iconic card dealer X-Man.
The character of Gambit was a long time coming, with its roots dating back to the X-Men: Final Stand (2003). Though the character was ultimately cut from the film, he was considered again for X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), with actors Keanu Reeves and Josh Holloway both considered for the role, before Channing Tatum was ultimately chosen for the role.
However, before any formal casting took place, the character was cut from the script, dashing Tatum’s aspirations to play the character, given his deep identification with his Cajun roots.
The role of Gambit was ultimately awarded to X-Men Origins: Wolverine’s Taylor Kitsch after Tatum was unable to sign on due to scheduling conflicts with G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Tatum personally accepted the role in September, saying, “Gambit is my favorite character. I’m from New Orleans, that area. My dad’s from New Orleans, and I love the Cajun accent. I can seriously do that. But I’m not bashing Taylor Kitsch. I love his Gambit, but I’ve always been surrounded by Cajuns…Gambit was always a ladies’ man, a cigarette smoking, a drinking guy. He was the punk rock of superheroes.”
Fox, who owned the rights to the X-Men series at the time, eventually greenlit a Gambit solo film, scheduled for release on October 7, 2016. However, there were numerous setbacks and delays due to scheduling conflicts, compensation negotiations, and Disney’s acquisition of Fox. In May 2019, Gambit was officially canceled by Disney, ending Tatum’s hopes and dreams of playing Le Diable Blanc.
That was until Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool came along.
During an interview with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show, Tatum said he has devoted much of his career to bringing Gambit to the big screen, saying, “I nearly cried. I got really emotional because I’ve been actively trying to play this character for the last 20 years in the industry.” The actor also credited Reynolds for making his dream come true, saying he thought he’d “lost Gambit forever” with X. In the post, Tatum revealed that Reynolds fought for him and Gambit, and that their collaboration resulted in one of Marvel’s greatest cameos of all time.
This photo is almost a decade off. I was sitting in the audience when Ryan Reynolds premiered Deadpool 1 to the world. I immediately ran backstage afterwards to find him, hugged him, and was like wow, you did it. Perfect. … pic.twitter.com/B5viY2f7nl
— Channing Tatum (@channingtatum) July 30, 2024
While no new Gambit movies have yet been ordered, Tatum’s character has garnered widespread public support. Reynolds has since voiced his support for a Gambit solo film, sharing Tatum’s interview with Fallon on his Instagram Story, adding, “If he makes a Gambit movie, I’ll give back. If they need people to carry sandbags, I’m in. If they need Deadpool, I can do that. Someone to provide the crew with fresh orange slices, no problem. Whatever.”
Channing Tatum’s net worth
Through his career as a dancer, actor, producer, and model, Channing Tatum has earned a massive net worth of $80 million as of 2024. He reportedly made $90 million from the first two Magic Mike movies, but his assets may have decreased following his divorce from Jenna Dewan in 2019. Dewan reportedly received a divorce settlement of $20 to $30 million, as well as ongoing spousal support.
Considering the success of Deadpool & Wolverine, which has since grossed over $1 billion, Tatum’s net worth is expected to increase significantly if a Gambit movie were to happen.
(Main and feature images: Channing Tatum/Instagram)
This article was first published on Prestige Malaysia.
The information in this article is accurate as of the publication date.
