Getting to Know Channing Tatum, From Gambit to his Net Worth and Career-Making Roles

An actor of great regard, Channing Tatum has had a celebrated career across his years in Hollywood. From career-making performances in 21 Jump Street and Magic Mike to his latest stint as X-Men’s sassy, suave superhero Gambit, here’s what you need to know about Channing Tatum, his net worth, and his best roles.

Fresh from his jaunt into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Le Diable Blanc Remy Lebeau in Deadpool & Wolverine, Channing Tatum is back — that is, if he ever left at all. Turning in a stellar performance as the Gambit in a brief cameo, Tatum has won critical appraise, reaffirming his place in the hearts and souls of those who have watched and loved him in the movies that have defined his decades long career. With the prospect of a Gambit movie hanging in the balance, we take a look at the career-defining roles and net worth of Channing Tatum. 

While Channing Tatum may have taken a low-key approach to growing his career in recent years, fans of the actor have lauded his performances over his career, which spans two incredible decades. His personable nature and ‘good guy’ persona have both served him well; generally regarded as being unproblematic, Tatum’s career and reputation have survived unscathed thus far, an incredible feat indeed considering Hollywood’s propensity for bringing out the worst in its figureheads. To wit: Channing Tatum is among Hollywood’s most beloved actors — and for good reason. 

Born on April 26 1980, Channing Tatum came from humble origins. A native of Cullman, Alabama, the 44-year-old actor boasts Irish, French, and German roots; his parents, Glenn and Kay Tatum (née Faust) held jobs as a construction worker and airline worker, respectively. When he was six, the Tatum family, along with Channing’s sister Paige, moved to the rural countryside of Pascagoula, Mississippi, where he picked up characteristics, mannerisms, and accents distinct to the bayou.  

As a child, Tatum found his schooling years difficult, hampered by the pitfalls of attention deficit disorder (ADD) and Dyslexia. In spite of this, the young actor found success in physical endeavours ranging from Football and soccer to track and baseball; upon graduating from Tampa Catholic High School in 1998, he was voted most athletic, highlighting the physical prowess that would go on to serve him incredibly well later in life. 

Tatum briefly attended the Glenville State College in West Virginia, where he had received a Football scholarship; however, he ended up dropping out. The period that followed was one in which he worked odd jobs, including a stint as a roofer and another as a stripper at a local nightclub where he was known as ‘Chan Crawford’. Coupled with his inimitable brand of charm and confidence, Tatum’s dancing ability led to his being cast in the music video for Ricky Martin’s She Bangs in 2000, for which he was paid USD 400. With his foothold thusly established, Tatum moved on to television advertisement spots, appearing in ads for Mountain Dew and Pepsi that same year. 

Tatum eventually moved to Miami, where he embarked on a modelling career following his discovery by a model talent scout. He signed on with Page 305 (Page Parkes Modeling Agency), appearing in advertisement campaigns for high profile brands like Abercrombie & Fitch, Dolce & Gabbana, and Emporio Armani among others. Following his early success in modelling, Tatum went on to sign with Ford Models in New York City, furthering his portfolio and cementing his place among faces to remember — subsequently opening doors to greater opportunities. 

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The career-defining roles of Channing Tatum 

While Tatum appeared in several minor roles between 2004 to 2005, from CSI: Miami (2004) and Coach Carter (2005) to War of the Worlds (2005), his breakthrough role came in 2006. Appearing alongside teen star Amanda Bynes, Tatum catapulted into superstardom when he landed the role of the male lead in romantic comedy She’s The Man (2006). The show proved an excellent platform for showcasing Tatum’s comedic timing and exquisite physique. In it, Tatum portrays Duke, a high school soccer captain who falls in love with Bynes’ Viola, a tomboy who impersonates her twin brother to join the soccer team for a chance at playing the sport. For his portrayal of Duke, Tatum received the 2006 Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie: Male Breakout Star. 

That same year, Tatum landed the next significant role in his acting career: Step It Up (2006), in which he portrays a felon with fancy footwork, Tyler Gage. While the show platformed Tatum’s dance moves, it was also significant for one other reason: It was where Tatum met his eventual wife, Jenna Dewan. The duo tied the knot in 2009; a decade-long marriage and one daughter later, they sadly parted ways in 2019. 

In 2009, Tatum appeared as Pretty Boy Floyd in Public Enemies alongside several of Hollywood’s biggest names: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Carey Mulligan, and David Wenham among others. That same year, he also starred in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra as Duke, taking home the 2010 Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor: Action. 

Two years later, Tatum flexed his romantic drama chops alongside Rachel McAdams in The Vow (2012), earning nominations for Best Male Performance and Best Kiss at the 2012 MTV Movie & TV Awards, and a nomination for Favorite On-Screen Chemistry at the 2013 People’s Choice Awards. He also appeared as Jenko in 21 Jump Street (2012), for which he won a Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor: Comedy. 

Drawing inspiration from his stripper days, Tatum then went on to star in one of his career-defining movies: Magic Mike (2012). Portraying the titular character, Tatum drew from his reserves of knowledge about the world of strippers, wielding his talent for dance as well as his penchant for comedy to great effect.  

In 2013, Tatum reprised his role as Duke in G.I. Joe: Retaliation. One year later in 2014, he appeared alongside Mark Ruffalo in American biographical thriller-Sports film Foxcatcher, portraying Olympic wrestler Mark Schultz opposite Ruffalo’s Dave Schultz. The movie was highly praised among critics for its visual style and tone, all three leads’ performances, and Bennett Miller’s directing work. It went on to garner three Golden Globe and five Academy Award nominations. For his portrayal of Mark Schultz, Tatum received a Special Distinction Award at the 2015 Independent Spirit Awards. The cast also received a Hollywood Ensemble Award at the 2014 Hollywood Film Awards. 

Tatum then reprised his role of Jenko for 22 Jump Street (2014), before returning to his most iconic character: Mike, in Magic Mike: XXL (2015). He later appeared as Jody in The Hateful Eight (2015) and as Tequila in Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) before once again reprising his role as Mike Lane in Magic Mike’s Last Dance (2023).  

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Channing Tatum’s decade-long journey to realising his Gambit 

While the internet has fallen head over heels for Tatum’s portrayal of Gambit in Deadpool & Wolverine, the actor has harboured a decade-long dream of playing Remy LeBeau on the silver screen. With memes of his iconic performance having made their rounds across social media platforms from TikTok to Instagram, it stands to reason that fans may yet see Tatum reprise his role of the iconic card-dealing X-Man. 

The character of Gambit has been a long time coming, with roots that go as far back as the X2 movie of 2003. While the character was ultimately cut out of the film, he was once again considered for X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), with actors Keanu Reeves and Josh Holloway both being considered before Channing Tatum was ultimately selected for the part.

However, before an official casting was made, the character was written out of the script, dashing Tatum’s aspirations for playing the character, whose Cajun roots he deeply identified with.  

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A post shared by Channing Tatum (@channingtatum)

The role of Gambit ultimately went to Taylor Kitsch in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, after Tatum failed to sign on due to scheduling coNFLicts with G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Tatum personally expressed interest in taking over the role in September, sharing, “Gambit’s my favourite. I’m from New Orleans, around that area. My dad’s from New Orleans, and I like to do a Cajun accent. I could do it for real. No knock on Taylor Kitsch, though, ‘cause I actually like his Gambit, but I’ve always lived around Cajun people… Gambit was always like the woman-loving, cigarette smoking, drinking [guy]. He was the punk rock of all the superheroes.” 

Fox, who then owned the rights to the X-Men franchise, eventually green-lit a standalone Gambit film, with a release set for October 7 2016. However, scheduling coNFLicts, remuneration negotiations, and the eventual acquisition of Fox by Disney all caused considerable setbacks and delays. In May 2019, Gambit was officially cancelled by Disney, putting an end to Tatum’s hopes and dreams of ever portraying Le Diable Blanc. 

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That is, until Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool came along. 

In an interview with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show, Tatum shared that he had been trying to get the Gambit movie off-ground for the better part of his career, sharing, “I could cry. Actually, I could get really emotional because I’ve trying to, actively in the industry, to play that character for the last 20 years.” The actor has also credited Reynolds for having made his dream a reality, sharing on X that he thought he had ‘lost Gambit forever’. In the post, Tatum shed light on how Reynolds had fought for him and Gambit, with the collaboration resulting in one of the greatest cameos the world of Marvel has ever seen.

These pictures are almost 10 years apart to the day. I sat in the audience when Ryan Reynolds showed his first peek of Deadpool 1 to the world and I think I ran back stage right after and found him and I think I just hugged him and was like holy shit you did it man. It’s perfect.… pic.twitter.com/B5viY2f7nl

— Channing Tatum (@channingtatum) July 30, 2024

While a new Gambit movie has yet to be ordered, Tatum’s portrayal of the character has been met with widespread public approval. Reynolds has since come out in support of a standalone Gambit movie, sharing Tatum’s interview on Fallon in an Instagram story and adding, “When he makes a Gambit movie, I’ll return the favour. If he needs someone to carry sandbags, I’m in. If he needs a Deadpool, I can do that. Someone to provide fresh orange slices to the crew, no problem. Name it.” 

The net worth of Channing Tatum 

Over the course of his career as a dancer, actor, producer, and model, Channing Tatum has garnered a significant net worth of USD 80 million as of 2024. It is said that he earned USD 90 million from the first two Magic Mike films; however, his 2019 divorce from Jenna Dewan is likely to caused a decline in his assets. Reports have suggested that Dewan received a divorce settlement of between USD 20 million to USD 30 million, with ongoing spousal support. 

Considering the success of Deadpool & Wolverine, which has since grossed over USD 1 billion, Tatum is expected to significantly add to his net worth should a Gambit movie ever come to fruition.

(Main and featured image: Channing Tatum/Instagram)