Channing Tatum, 45, is giving fans the skinny on his 60‑pound weight‑loss transformation. The Magic Mike star, known for his killer physique and dancer’s body, got so far into character for his upcoming film Roofman that he dropped over 60 pounds to play what he calls “a really wiry” character.
Tatum sat down for an in-depth talk with entertainment publication Daily Variety prior to the release of Roofman, a comedic biopic about the fugitive Jeffrey Manchester. A former United States Army Reserve officer, Manchester stole from various McDonald’s by entering through the roof. Tatum went from 240 pounds to 172 pounds to embody Manchester’s lean physique.
Tatum got real about how he lost more weight than he intended to during a chat alongside Roofman director Derek Cianfrance for Daily Variety.
“I had only planned to get down to like 185 and then it, it, just once I was really going it just… the days of shooting just it kept coming off and I got under like 172,” he said.
Tatum recounts the “emptiness” and “sadness” of being that deprived, which helped him explore the “longing” he assumed his character felt.
Cianfrance reveals during the conversation that Tatum had asked the director if he should lose the weight for the role, assuming Manchester needed to be slight to fit into tight spaces. While the director didn’t require his star to lose the weight, he was supportive of the idea.
While Tatum’s weight loss did help him connect more to his character, the stark transformation did cause concern amongst the Roofman crew, some of whom were heard begging someone to give Tatum a steak.
Who Is the Real Jeffrey Manchester?
Jeffrey Manchester is a convicted spree‑robber who broke into his target locations, most often McDonalds, by drilling through the roof. Manchester was captured after two years and was sentenced to 45 years in jail.
In 2004, Manchester escaped from jail after hiding in an outgoing truck’s undercarriage. We won’t spoil the movie for you, but the thrilling ending is definitely worth a watch.
‘Roofman’ Cast and Release Date
In addition to Tatum and his chiseled abs, Roofman stars:
Kirsten Dunst
Peter Dinklage
Uzo Aduba
Ben Mendelsohn
Juno Temple
Roofman is scheduled to be released in theaters on September 6, 2025.
Channing Tatum can finally eat again.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Sep 4, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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