Given the choice between attending military school or a private high school, he enrolled at Tampa Catholic High School in Florida, where he developed a keen interest in football. His athletic talent earned him a full scholarship to Glenville State College in Glenville, West Virginia, where he intended to pursue a football career. However, he eventually dropped out of college to explore other opportunities.

Early Jobs and Modeling Career

After leaving college, Tatum worked a variety of jobs including construction worker, mortgage broker, salesman, and nightclub dancer. He was eventually discovered by a modeling scout, which launched his career in the fashion industry. Tatum modeled for high-profile brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Nautica, Gap, Aeropostale, Emporio Armani, American Eagle, Pepsi, and Mountain Dew.

His appearance as a dancer in Ricky Martin’s 2000 music video “She Bangs” earned him $400 and marked one of his earliest on-screen performances. Additionally, his brief stint as a male stripper during his youth under the alias “Chan Crawford” inspired the storyline for the film Magic Mike, in which he later starred.

Magic Mike and Breakthrough

Tatum’s experience as a stripper became the basis of Magic Mike, a semi-autobiographical film released by Warner Bros. on June 29, 2012. The film follows a 19-year-old aspiring furniture designer who becomes immersed in the world of male entertainment. It was shot in West Central Florida, closely aligning with the region where Tatum once lived and worked. The critical and commercial success of the film led to a sequel, Magic Mike XXL, released on July 1, 2015. Tatum produced the sequel as well as reprising his starring role.

Acting Career and Hollywood Success

Although Tatum gained mainstream attention with Step Up (2006), his film debut came a year earlier with a supporting role in the 2005 sports drama Coach Carter. The film, based on the true story of Coach Ken Carter (played by Samuel L. Jackson), focused on academic discipline and sportsmanship. The film received critical acclaim, with Jackson winning the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture.

Tatum’s major film credits include 21 Jump Street (2012), The Vow (2012), G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009), and its sequel G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013). His versatility allowed him to explore romantic dramas, action roles, and comedic performances. He co-produced and starred in the continuation of his breakout series with Magic Mike XXL (2015).

Collaborations and Notable Films

Tatum starred opposite Amanda Bynes in the 2006 teen comedy She’s the Man, a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, which has been praised as one of the best Shakespearean remakes. In 2008, he took on a more dramatic role in Stop-Loss, a character-driven story about soldiers returning from the Iraq War. That same year, he appeared in Battle in Seattle, a political drama about the 1999 World Trade Organization protests.

Reluctant at first to accept the part of Duke in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Tatum later embraced the role after reading the script, describing it as more akin to X-Men or Mission: Impossible than a traditional war film. The movie, based on Hasbro's action figures, was released on August 7, 2009, and grossed over $300 million worldwide.