Channing Tatum

The guy looks more like an Abercrombie model than an actor, probably because he used to be an Abercrombie model. In interviews, his laugh frequently turns into a giggle, like he's unconcerned about possessing the protective coating of his more guarded, seasoned Hollywood cohorts. Not only has he worked as a stripper, but he has a sense of humor about it (check his endearing, funny turn on “Saturday Night Live”) and has turned his experiences into one of this summer's most anticipated movies, Steven Soderbergh's “Magic Mike.” Sure, it would be easy to hate Channing Tatum, if you're...

You've always wanted to be on "Wheel of Fortune" or "Legends of the Hidden Temple," right? Here's your chance to make it big (among your group of friends -- we have no real power or cash prizes happening). Gather up your buds and see who scores best on our celeb trivia challenge this week. We're sure you can come up with some manner of creepy trophy to make it all worthwhile. damoran@tribune.com | @redeyedana 1. Which of these dudes does Channing Tatum have a man-crush on?

      Well, ladies and gentlemen, it's an important moment in American history. No, Jessica Simpson has not had her baby (yet). The trailer for "Magic Mike," aka The Channing Tatum Stripper Movie, was unleashed on the Internet on Thursday. While it's slightly less revealing than we'd hoped, this is a preview after all. We took on the daunting task of watching it approximately 34 times to break down this cinematic wonder by the numbers. You're welcome. damoran@tribune.com | @redeyedana 2 The number of sexy cops who bust up a college party at the...

Though he was five years removed from an Oscar nomination, in 2011 Ryan Gosling was everywhere, skyrocketing into A-list territory thanks to "Crazy Stupid Love," "Drive" and "The Ides of March. " In 2012 it was Channing Tatum, who scored three hits ("The Vow," "21 Jump Street," "Magic Mike") and delivered the best work of his career in "Mike," a movie that was much better than anyone expected. (Sorry to those who just wanted the film suggested by the ads, which was pretty much two hours of stripping.)

Everyone has had friends ask them about former jobs. The questions “Magic Mike” star Channing Tatum receives aren't exactly, “So, did you like being a camp counselor?” “'Were you naked? Were you butt-naked? How many girls did you take home?'” Tatum recalls being asked about the eight months he spent as a male stripper when he was 18 and 19. “[Guys] just want to know [everything]. It's something that I think they never really thought of.” The actor, who adds that many women are similarly fascinated by uninhibited aspects of female stripping - “They might judge it,” he...

Check back next week for my full interview (featuring some awesomely ridiculous stories) with Channing Tatum about"Magic Mike," opening June 29. For now, a small snippet of the actor's thoughts on ... Avoiding full-frontal nudity in "Magic Mike": "Yeah, we didn't want to have a bunch of penises flopping around. I don't think that was on our bucket list for this movie. I just think it's distracting whenever you really see stuff like that. It's like sex scenes in a way or full nudity scenes.

“I'm too old for this [bleep],” says Jonah Hill. “Welcome to Earth, mother[bleep]er!,” says Channing Tatum. The “21 Jump Street” stars aren't being aggressive; they're just spouting classic action catchphrases (from “Lethal Weapon” and “Independence Day,” respectively). In their new action-comedy loosely inspired by the '80s Johnny Depp TV show, Hill coins a new one: “Let's make a baby.” Hill, who co-conceived the story with “Project X” writer Michael Bacall as “'Bad Boys' meets a John Huges movie,”...

** (out of four) Apparently nobody in “The Son of No One” has heard of self-defense and accidents. Otherwise, rookie cop Jonathan (Channing Tatum) wouldn't be freaking out over the reporter (Juliette Binoche) who follows anonymous letters about two unsolved murders that Jonathan committed as a scared kid in 1986 Queens. (Clearly whoever's texting Jonathan messages like “We know what you did” is an “I Know What You Did Last Summer” fan.) Writer-director Dito Montiel (“A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints,” “Fighting”)

Is the stage being set for a bad romance? Earlier this week, Channing Tatum talked about his new onscreen wife in "The Bitter Pill," which recently began production. And it's not the usual suspect either -- his lady love will be played by Rooney Mara. Huh? While Tatum met his real-life wife, Jenna Dewan, on the set of "Step Up," we don't really see the spark here. Check out where Channing and Rooney rate on our rankings of recent odd TV/movie couples, from most to least likely. damoran@tribune.com | @Redeyedana Ryan Gosling and Blow-Up Doll "Lars and...

** (out of four)   Channing Tatum gets a bad rap, but the failings of “The Vow” lie primarily on his (often-bare) shoulders.   The Chicago-set story, inspired by true events but told like an ordinary, contrived slice of soap, brings an ocean of sorrow: Paige (Rachel McAdams) wakes up, following a brain injury-causing car accident and coma, with no memory of her husband Leo (Tatum). While she retreats to her parents (Sam Neill, Jessica Lange) and ex-fiance (Scott Speedman)

After countless ads featuring stripping, stripping and more stripping, you probably drooled all over your seat/armrest/entire theater after seeing the two-hour naked-dude-extravaganza at last night's midnight screening of “Magic Mike.” What? That's not what the movie is? No kidding. If you've already seen it, or just read my or anyone else's review , you know that, despite a marketing campaign featuring virtually nothing but Channing Tatum and his back-up dancers taking it off onstage, “Magic Mike” is actually a thoughtful, level-headed movie--that examines Mike's...

***1/2 (out of four) I tell my wife that I really liked “Magic Mike,” and she laughs. This does not surprise me. For months, women and men who rarely see the skin they're interested in onscreen have hooted and hollered for a movie about male strippers, expecting ladies'-night-out debauchery after a trailer showcasing as many thongs as a “Piranha” sequel. At the movies, men are not usually the objects of ogling; they're the conquerors having all the fun. At the MTV Movie Awards earlier this month, a montage collected cult classic party movies...

Even in small roles, Elizabeth Banks often has a major impact on her movies. Consider her memorable, unbridled scene in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” in which she teaches Steve Carell's character about the, uh, talents of a handheld showerhead, or the fact that the romantic trajectory of “Wet Hot American Summer” results largely from Banks' character tasting like a burger. “It's true,” the 38-year-old actress says with a laugh. “I think that Paul [Rudd]'s character just wanted a little side strange.” Now, of course, Banks takes up far more...

Everyone has had friends ask them about former jobs. The questions “Magic Mike” star Channing Tatum receives aren't exactly, “So, did you like being a camp counselor?” “'Were you naked? Were you butt-naked? How many girls did you take home?'” Tatum recalls being asked about the eight months he spent as a male stripper when he was 18 and 19. “[Guys] just want to know [everything]. It's something that I think they never really thought of.” The actor, who adds that many women are similarly fascinated by uninhibited aspects of female...

Check back next week for my full interview (featuring some awesomely ridiculous stories) with Channing Tatum about"Magic Mike," opening June 29. For now, a small snippet of the actor's thoughts on ... Avoiding full-frontal nudity in "Magic Mike": "Yeah, we didn't want to have a bunch of penises flopping around. I don't think that was on our bucket list for this movie. I just think it's distracting whenever you really see stuff like that. It's like sex scenes in a way or full nudity scenes.

Is the stage being set for a bad romance? Earlier this week, Channing Tatum talked about his new onscreen wife in "The Bitter Pill," which recently began production. And it's not the usual suspect either -- his lady love will be played by Rooney Mara. Huh? While Tatum met his real-life wife, Jenna Dewan, on the set of "Step Up," we don't really see the spark here. Check out where Channing and Rooney rate on our rankings of recent odd TV/movie couples, from most to least likely. damoran@tribune.com | @Redeyedana Ryan Gosling and Blow-Up Doll "Lars and the...

Have I got an opportunity for you! I've secured the rights to a 19th century Swedish folk tale that, since it was discovered at the bottom of well by a traveling circus monkey, has been widely regarded as a major predecessor to "Harry Potter. " It features wizards, spells, demons and a teenage love triangle, this time involving a young wizard, a demon who used to be a boy and a beautiful girl who used to be a demon. Together they experience all the highs and lows of adolescence, just with far more confusing terminology and expressions of their love for beef stroganoff.

At the movies the other night, I saw a preview for "Spider-Man. " I'm so confused. Didn't they just do that? While the filming of "Superman" took over Chicago last summer, I couldn't help but think the same thing. Is Hollywood really that hard up for ideas? Yes, of course it is. And I'm hardly the first person to point that out over the past ... oh, 10 years. I've compiled a list of some oldies but goodies that I feel would be interesting if they were set in modern times. Yes, modern.

At the movies the other night, I saw a preview for "Spider-Man. " I'm so confused. Didn't they just do that? While the filming of "Superman" took over Chicago last summer, I couldn't help but think the same thing. Is Hollywood really that hard up for ideas? Yes, of course it is. And I'm hardly the first person to point that out over the past ... oh, 10 years. I've compiled a list of some oldies but goodies that I feel would be interesting if they were set in modern times. Yes, modern.

      Well, ladies and gentlemen, it's an important moment in American history. No, Jessica Simpson has not had her baby (yet). The trailer for "Magic Mike," aka The Channing Tatum Stripper Movie, was unleashed on the Internet on Thursday. While it's slightly less revealing than we'd hoped, this is a preview after all. We took on the daunting task of watching it approximately 34 times to break down this cinematic wonder by the numbers. You're welcome. damoran@tribune.com | @redeyedana 2 The number of sexy cops who bust...