It started last year, my appreciation for Channing Tatum’s ability not only to give a good interview but the way he’s managed to navigate his ascent, winning over those who weren’t all that impressed with his shirtlessness by sounding relatively humble, not overreaching, and maintaining a good sense of humour. And also just being kind. He is very kind on junkets, he is appreciative of the interest, and no one ever has any sh-t to talk at him or about him.
Tatum covers the new issue of Vanity Fair and, once again, delivers offering candid details about his upbringing. He talks about how his father pressured him academically and how he struggled with this studies. How conventional education methods did not work on him. He also describes himself as a “slow” reader:
“I read so slow. If I have a script I’m going to read it five times slower than any other actor, but I’ll be able to tell you everything in it. It kills me that there are standardized tests geared towards just one kind of child.”
You know what I love about this? I love that Tatum confronts and acknowledges his image that he’s a pretty beefy dumbass. How many of her peers would do the same? And in a way that isn’t defensive or a denial but instead, surprisingly informed, with strong ownership of his opinion. God but he is endearing, isn’t he?
He’s also refreshingly honest about fame and how it can change you. Most of the time, these assholes refuse to admit that their lives are privileged, that they are accustomed to entitlements that are almost offensive to civilians. That they literally could have someone wipe their sh-t if they wanted to:
“I worry about Bieber, man. That kid’s wildly talented. I hope he doesn’t fall down into the usual ways of young kids because it’s so hard for someone to be responsible when they’re not asked to be. We’re not asked to do things ourselves. You have someone there with a coffee. ‘You want food? I’ll get you food.’ I put my bag in the trunk yesterday—I can’t drive here—so my driver, great guy, Terry, amazing, I call him T-Bone, I drop my bag in and left the trunk open. And I get around to my door, and I’m like, ‘What the f-ck am I doing? That’s not my behavior.’ ”
Here’s Channing Tatum admitting that at some point, he got used to it. He got used to having someone clean up for him. “We’re not asked to do things for ourselves.” Exactly. And the consequence to that, as he candidly reveals, is that you start not doing things for yourself.
If you have some life experience, some maturity, you might catch yourself, like he did, and self-correct. But, as you’ve read here too many times, so many of them are unformed when they make it, and that awareness never develops. Tatum addresses that part of it too:
“I don’t remember who said it, but I do believe that whatever age you become famous, you end up staying that age. Because from that point you’re not asked to be a normal citizen. I broke through at 24 or 25. I had lived a pretty diverse life. When I was finally making money, I knew exactly what I needed ... $5.67. I’d have one meal a day. I would go to Checkers and get the No. 1 with everything.”
It was George Clooney, which would make sense because they hang out. George Clooney said that fame stunts your growth. So Britney will always be 16. Bieber will always be 14 or 15. Lindsay Lohan the same.
Click here for more from Channing Tatum in Vanity Fair.
