“When I was a kid, we lived on the bayou in Mississippi. My dad would throw a beer can into the water and have me shoot at it. Once, when I was really little, we had this huge double-barrel shot-gun, and when I tried it, it literally blew me off the dock.”
On his past projects and learning process:
“You gotta do the Dear Johns. You gotta do The Vow. I’m conscious about why I did those parts, those movies. I wanted to learn from Rachel on The Vow. I wanted to learn from Lasse Hallström on Dear John—he did The Cider House Rules and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. I didn’t go to acting school, so my knowledge of story, filmmaking, and character comes from just being on set and doing it. I know I’m not the best actor, but I hope my characters are getting better.”
On his film aspirations:
“I really don’t want to be in anymore movies that I don’t produce. Unless it’s with one of the 10 directors that I really want to work with, I don’t have any interest in not being on the ground floor of creating it. But what I really want to do is direct.”
On his late nights, often until 4 A.M., brainstorming at the office:
“Jenna’s not always happy when I come home that late, but I’ve just got to get it out.”
Channing Tatum has a slew of new movies heading to the big screen this year. He sits down with Details magazine to chat about his projects, his wife, and his upbringing in the February issue.
On shooting guns with his dad as a child:
“When I was a kid, we lived on the bayou in Mississippi. My dad would throw a beer can into the water and have me shoot at it. Once, when I was really little, we had this huge double-barrel shot-gun, and when I tried it, it literally blew me off the dock.”
On his past projects and learning process:
“You gotta do the Dear Johns. You gotta do The Vow. I’m conscious about why I did those parts, those movies. I wanted to learn from Rachel on The Vow. I wanted to learn from Lasse Hallström on Dear John—he did The Cider House Rules and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. I didn’t go to acting school, so my knowledge of story, filmmaking, and character comes from just being on set and doing it. I know I’m not the best actor, but I hope my characters are getting better.”
On his film aspirations:
“I really don’t want to be in anymore movies that I don’t produce. Unless it’s with one of the 10 directors that I really want to work with, I don’t have any interest in not being on the ground floor of creating it. But what I really want to do is direct.”
On his late nights, often until 4 A.M., brainstorming at the office:
“Jenna’s not always happy when I come home that late, but I’ve just got to get it out.”
Photo credit: Norman Jean Roy for DETAILS