Channing Matthew Tatum (born April 26, 1980) is an American actor,
producer, and former
model. After beginning his career as a fashion model, he has branched out into acting roles, appearing in the films
Havoc (2005),
Coach Carter (2005),
Supercross (2005),
She's the Man, then
Step Up, and
A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, all of which were released in 2006.
Early life
Born in
Cullman, a small city in
Alabama, Tatum has one sister. He has French, Irish, and
Native American ancestry. His family moved to
Mississippi when he was six, although he visits Alabama, where his mother's family still lives. Tatum grew up in the
bayous near the
Mississippi River, where he enjoyed a rural existence, including "All the rattlesnakes and alligators a boy could possibly chase, fishing every day,
Pop Warner football league, stuff like that. "
Tatum was athletic while growing up, playing
American football,
soccer,
track,
baseball, and performing
martial arts, although he says that "girls were always
[1] biggest distraction in school."
Tatum initially attended
Gaither High School in
Tampa, Florida. After his sophomore year, he "had an option either
attend a
military school or a private school". He chose the private school,
Tampa Catholic High School in
Tampa, Florida. He graduated in 1998 and was voted most athletic. Afterward, Tatum was awarded a football scholarship to
Glenville State College in
Glenville, West Virginia, although he soon lost interest in the sport and turned down the scholarship, citing his dislike of the demands of playing football.
