Channg Tatum and Roxane Gay Are Wrg a Romance Novel | Glamour

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• CHANNG TATUM IS BACK FOR MAGIC MIKE’S LAST DANCEAND READY TO TALK ABOUT LIFE, LOVE, AND LEARNG TO BE A FEMIST.BY JSI PRSLERPHOTOGRAPHY BY MAR SORRENTISTYLED BY GEE CORTAJANUARY 17, 2023CHANNG TATUM, PHOTOGRAPHED BROOKLYN, NOVEMBER 9, 2022. HAT BY STETSON; VTAGE TANK TOP OM STOCK VTAGE.PHOTOGRAPH BY MARIO SORRENTI; STYLED BY GEORGE CORTINA.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVE“I’LL GO SLOW,” PROMIS CHANNG TATUM. HE LOOKS DOWN, HIS CHISELED BROW FURROWED NCERN. “HOW’S THAT?” HE ASKS. “TOO SLOW?”AS AN ATHLETE AND A DANCER, TATUM IS ED TO NTORTG HIS BODY TO EXOTIC POSNS, AND DON’T TAKE LONG FOR HIM TO FD HIS RHYTHM.“OH, YEAH,” HE SAYS. HIS THIGHS ARE TT. HIS MASSIVE HANDS ARE MA FOR STUFF LIKE THIS. “THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKG ABOUT. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.”I FD MYSELF STARTG TO LOSE NTROL. “OH, GOD,” I SAY. “OH, SH.”“OH, YEAH!” TATUM ANNOUNC TRIUMPHANTLY. “WE’RE MAKG A BABY!”JACKET BY RALPH LREN PURPLE LABEL; SHIRT BY GRG ARMANI; VTAGE PANTS OM RAGGEDY THREADS; VTAGE BOOTS OM MELET MERNTILE. PHOTOGRAPH BY MAR SORRENTI; STYLED BY GEE CORTA.“OH, NOOO,” I SHRIEK. THE HUNK OF CLAY I HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTG TO MAKE TO A VASE SLIPS OM MY GRASP AND FLGS SELF DRAMATILLY OFF THE POTTERY WHEEL, WHICH NTU TO SP MADLY, SPLATTERG ME WH VIS BROWN LIQUID UNTIL THE STCTOR AT THE BROOKLYN STUD WHERE WE’VE BEEN TAKG A LSON OVER TO GENTLY REMD ME TO TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE PEDAL.TEE-HEE-HEE. I HEAR A GIGGLE OM THE NEXT WHEEL OVER. TATUM IS HUNCHED LIKE A GIANT OVER HIS TY BUD VASE, HIS BROAD SHOULRS, ENSED A WHE LONG-SLEEVE T-SHIRT WH “THE POWER TO SATISFY” WRTEN ACROSS THE CHT, SHAKG WH LGHTER.“IT’S SO FUNNY, DU,” HE MANAG EVENTUALLY. “I WISH THERE WAS A VIO PONENT TO THIS TERVIEW, SO I ULD JT PRS PLAY AND SEE YOU JT, LIKE, RIDG CLAY. LIKE YOU’RE JT TRYG TO HOLD ON TO LIKE ’S A BULL-RIDG PETN, AND YOU KEEP GETTG THROWN OFF.” TEE-HEE-HEE.IF THIS WERE ANY OTHER MOVIE STAR, I’D PROBABLY BE MORTIFIED, BUT TATUM—WHOSE LGH, A HIGH-PCHED SUCCSN OF ACTUAL TEE-HEE-HE—SEEMS SO GENUELY LIGHTED THAT I END UP FEELG LIKE I’VE GIVEN HIM A GIFT.IT HELPS, ALSO, THAT HE’S NOT A PLETE STRANGER. WE FIRST MET BACK 2011, WHEN I TERVIEWED HIM FOR GQ. AN UP-AND-G ACTOR WHOM, GOG TO , I HAD TEGORIZED AS A MOR PLAYER OF THE YOUNG HOLLYWOOD ERA: THE HOT GUY MOVI LIKE STEP UP AND SHE’S THE MAN, HE WAS STARRG A ROMAN HISTORIL DRAMA WHICH HIS CHARACTER APPEARED MCLE-BOUND BODY ARMOR.TWENTY-FOUR HOURS AND I DON’T KNOW HOW MANY TEQUILA SHOTS LATER, I WOKE UP NEXT TO SOME ROCKS THE SERT, WEARG A SNUGGIE AND KEENLY AWARE, SPE MY PIERCG HANER, THAT I HAD BEEN VERY WRONG ABOUT CHANNG TATUM, AND THAT WHILE HE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THE BT-KNOWN ACTOR HOLLYWOOD, HE WAS CERTALY THE MOST FUN. IT’S A LONG STORY. YOU SHOULD PROBABLY GOOGLE .I RAN TO HIM ABOUT A YEAR LATER NEW YORK, JT AS HE WAS ABOUT TO FISH MAGIC MIKE, A MOVIE LOOSELY BASED ON THE TIME HE SPENT AS A STRIPPER TAMPA.“AND I THK SHORTLY AFTER THAT,” TATUM SAYS, SUMMG UP THE PERD BETWEEN THEN AND NOW, “I GOT REALLY BY, AND THEN LIFE KD OF FELL APART, AND THEN I STOPPED WORKG FOR ALMOST FIVE YEARS.”THAT’S THE SHORT VERSN. MORE SPECIFILLY—AS YOU KNOW UNLS YOU’VE BEEN ASLEEP NEXT TO SOME ROCKS THE SERT FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS—MAGIC MIKE WAS AN ENORMO H, A CULTURAL PHENOMENON, AND TATUM BEME AN A-LIST MOVIE STAR, A PRODUCER, A MOGUL, ON THE LEVEL OF ACTORS NAMED BRAD AND RYAN (WHOM HE REFERS TO, CINTALLY, AS HIS “HOMI”). THEN HE DID SOMETHG THAT MOST HOLLYWOOD STARS WOULD FD UNTHKABLE. HE JT…STOPPED.NOW, AFTER A PERD OF SOUL-SEARCHG AND A LENGTHY HIAT OM ACTG, HE’S BACK, WH AT LEAST FIVE MOVI THE PIPELE, CLUDG PSY ISLAND—THE DIRECTORIAL BUT OF HIS NOW GIRLIEND, ZOë KRAVZ—AND THE THIRD STALLMENT OF MAGIC MIKE—MAGIC MIKE’S LAST DANCE.SO, GIVEN THAT OUR TOLERANCE FOR TEQUILA ISN’T WHAT ED TO BE, AND TATUM, 42, HAS JT GOTTEN OVER COVID (WHICH HE CLARED “BORG”), WE’VE OPTED FOR A MELLOW, AGE-APPROPRIATE ERARY: BNCH AND A POTTERY LSON, WHICH SOME PEOPLE SEEM TO THK IS RELAXG.I THWACK A NEW PIECE OF CLAY ONTO MY WHEEL. “YOU GOT THIS, GIRL,” CHEERS TATUM. “RI THE CLAY BULL.”JACKET BY BALENCIAGA; VTAGE JUMPSU OM STOCK VTAGE.PHOTOGRAPH BY MAR SORRENTI; STYLED BY GEE CORTA.MOMENTS LATER, HE HAS PRODUCED ANOTHER SMALL VSEL. “NOW I KNOW WHY THEY PUT THIS GHOST,” HE SAYS, THEN SMOOTHS OUT THE LIP OF A PIECE HE NOT LOOKS RATHER LIKE A VAGA. “THIS WHOLE PROCS IS VERY, VERY SEXUAL.”MEANWHILE, MY CLAY IS FLAPPG AROUND ALL OVER THE PLACE. “GHOST WAS GREAT,” I MUTTER AS I STGGLE TO GET AHOLD OF .“WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE RIGHTS,” TATUM SAYS.“WA, WHAT?”“YEAH, WE HAVE THE RIGHTS TO GHOST.”I PRS HARD ON THE CLAY WHILE HE TELLS ABOUT HOW HIS PRODUCTN PANY, FREE ASSOCIATN, IS TRYG TO PULL TOGETHER A REMAKE OF GHOST, WH HIM POTENTIALLY PLAYG THE PATRICK SWAYZE ROLE. “BUT WE’RE GOG TO DO SOMETHG DIFFERENT,” HE SAYS, ADDG THAT THE ORIGAL, LIKE MANY MOVI OF S DAY, NTAED SOME PROBLEMATIC STEREOTYP. “I THK NEEDS TO CHANGE A LTLE B AND HAVE OUR…”THHHRRMP. TATUM LOOKS UP OM HIS VAGA AS MY WHEEL MAK AN ANGRY SPLUTTERG SOUND.“THIS IS THE FUNNIT THG I HAVE EXPERIENCED A REALLY LONG TIME,” HE PROCLAIMS AS I WIPE CLAY OM MY EYEBROWS AGA. “YOU’RE TRYG SO HARD TO HAVE A NVERSATN WH ME, AND YOU’RE JT GETTG YOUR ASS BEAT BY A WHEEL AND A PIECE OF CLAY. IT’S SO GOOD.” TEE-HEE-HEE.“I LIKE LGHG,” TATUM TOLD ME EARLIER THAT MORNG. “I LIKE FDG THE HILARNS THGS.” WE WERE SEATED OUTSI AT A DER WILLIAMSBURG (WHERE ZOë KRAVZ LIV), WHICH SPECIALIZED BAGELS—WHICH WAS UNFORTUNATE, BEE TATUM N’T REALLY DO RBS. “MY FACE GETS REALLY FAT REALLY FAST,” HE EXPLAED. ONCE, TO PLEASE HIS EX-WIFE, HE’D HIRED A VEGAN CHEF WHO WRAPPED EVERYTHG BREAD. “I JT GOT FATTER AND FATTER AND FATTER,” HE SAID, HIS HANDS MOVG AWAY OM HIS FACE TO DITE A HEAD EXPANDG LIKE A PARA-FLOAT BALLOON. THIS WAS ALSO HILAR, HE ADD.LIKE MANY KIDS WH WANRG ATTENTN SPANS AND EXCS ENERGY, TATUM LEARNED EARLY HOW TO E HUMOR TO FLECT ATTENTN AND FE TENSN, A STRATEGY THAT, AS HE HAS GOTTEN OLR, SEEMS TO HAVE MORPHED TO A KD OF WORLDVIEW, AN ABILY TO SEE THE SILVER LG SUATNS THAT OTHERS MIGHT FD UNFORTABLE OR UNPLEASANT. “I DON’T WANT TO GET ALL RNY, BUT I GUS THAT IS KD OF MY PG MECHANISM LIFE, IS TO FD THE FUN.”TATUM WAS DISVERED TO BE FOLLOWG A NUMBER OF KRAVZ’S FAN ACUNTS ON INSTAGRAM: “I HAVE NO CHILL.” IT WAS NOCENT, HE SWEARS. “I WAS JT SEEG WHAT SHE WAS UP TO! ALSO, I DIDN’T KNOW ANYONE WOULD KNOW.”“THIS IS GOG TO BE CRAZY,” HE TOLD HIS IEND AS THEY SLIPPED ON THONGS AT JOY, THE STRIP CLUB TAMPA WHERE HE STARTED DANCG AT 18, EFFECTIVELY RCG THE EXPERIENCE TO A FUNNY ANECDOTE AS WAS HAPPENG. THIS OUTLOOK WAS EFUL HOLLYWOOD, AN DTRY THAT N BE SIAR TO STRIP CLUBS, WHERE ONE N EASILY END UP A BAD SUATN.“THE DTRY IS FAIRLY BTAL IF YOU HAVE A SPARK OF CREATIVY,” SAYS REID CAROL, WHO WAS HIS EARLY 20S AND WORKG AS ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR ON THE 2008 MOVIE STOP-LOSS WHEN HE MET TATUM. TATUM WAS PLAYG A SOLDIER, THE KD OF ROLE THAT, AS A MCULAR WHE MAN WH A HT OF WILDNS BEHD THE EY, HE’D BE ASKED TO PLAY MANY TIM OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, CLUDG DEAR JOHN, G.I. JOE, HAYWIRE, AND THE ROMAN MOVIE, THE EAGLE. “YOU GET TYPEST,” SAYS CAROL, WHO BEME IENDS AND EVENTUALLY BS PARTNERS WH TATUM. “WE PRETTY QUICKLY REALIZED THE ONLY WAY WE ULD FD FULFILLMENT THE DTRY WAS TO CREATE AND RETA OWNERSHIP OF OUR OWN MATERIAL.”THEY FORMED A PRODUCTN PANY, WHICH THEY LLED 33&OUT, WH THE GOAL OF WORKG AS HARD—AND HAVG AS MUCH FUN—AS THEY ULD UNTIL THEY REACHED THE SO-LLED J YEAR, AT WHICH POT THEY’D PEACE OUT. “GO AND LIVE ON AN ISLAND SOMEWHERE,” AS TATUM TOLD ME BACK 2011.WHEN STEVEN SORBERGH, WHO’D DIRECTED TATUM HAYWIRE, EXPRSED TERT DIRECTG A MOVIE ABOUT TATUM’S PAST LIFE AS A STRIPPER, THEY JUMPED AT THE OPPORTUNY. CAROL, WHO’D NEVER SOLD A FEATURE-FILM SCRIPT BEFORE, BEGAN WORKG ON A STORY THEY SAW AS BEG LIKE BOOGIE NIGHTS OR SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER: A DARKLY EDIC TALE ABOUT A YOUNG MAN WHO ENTERS A WORLD THAT IS SUPERFICIALLY SEXY BUT ULTIMATELY PRETTY GRIM. “BEE THAT WORLD IS NOT ROSY,” TATUM POTS OUT. “SOME OF THE WORST PEOPLE I’VE EVER MET MY ENTIRE LIFE WERE THAT REALM.”VTAGE SHIRT AND P OM RAGGEDY THREADS.PHOTOGRAPH BY MAR SORRENTI; STYLED BY GEE CORTA.THEN AGA, A MOVIE ABOUT THE WORST PEOPLE THE WORLD DON’T SOUND LIKE VERY MUCH FUN. “SO CHAN THOUGHT THAT MAYBE WE ULD SORT OF CLEAN UP AND MAKE BE SOMETHG DIFFERENT,” CAROL RELLS. THE END RULT—A ROM- ABOUT A HOT MALE STRIPPER WH A HEART OF GOLD DRY-HUMPG HIS WAY TO HIS DREAM OF OWNG HIS OWN BS—WAS A LOT MORE FUN.SANDRA BULLOCK, “LIKE EVERY OTHER WOMAN AMERI,” SHED TO THE THEATER, WHERE SHE REGNIZED THE GUY GRDG ON ALL FOURS—A SIGNATURE MOVE TATUM LLS THE OLD FAHFUL—AS THE SAME ONE WHO HAD CRASHED HER BIRTHDAY PARTY A FEW YEARS BEFORE. “THE DANCE FLOOR HAD NEVER BEEN SO HAPPY,” SHE RELLS.NEEDLS TO SAY, TATUM DIDN’T NEED TO CRASH PARTI AFTER THAT. “I WOULD GO TO THE MEETGS AND ALL THE FEMALE EXECUTIV WOULD BE THERE, LIKE, ‘WHAT A GEIC SPECIMEN, WHAT A GIFT,’ ” SAYS CODY HORN, WHO PLAYED TATUM’S LOVE TERT THE MOVIE AND LATER MARRIED CAROL.HORN BRGS UP SOMETHG I ALSO NOTICED ABOUT TATUM, WHICH IS THAT HIS PRENCE, ’S WEIRDLY EASY TO FET HE IS AN TERNATNALLY FAMO MOVIE STAR AND UNIVERSALLY REVERED SEX GOD WHOSE SUAL HOODIE NCEALS A SET OF ABS MORE VALUABLE THAN THE HOPE DIAMOND. “HE SO RARELY RRI HIS MOVIE STAR–NS AROUND HIS EVERYDAY LIFE, ’S ALMOST SURPRISG WHEN HE DO TURN TO THAT GUY,” SAYS HORN. “AND WHEN HE DO, THERE IS SUCH A MAGISM TO HIM THAT YOU N HARDLY LOOK AT HIM WHOUT FALLG ON THE FLOOR. IT’S SANELY SEXY. YOU’RE KD OF LIKE, ‘EXCE ME, TURN THAT OFF.’ ”TATUM’S ABILY TO SHIFT TO REGULAR-GUY MO ALSO ENABLED HIM TO SUCCSFULLY CROSS GENR. IN THE 2010S, HE WORKED NONSTOP ON A WI RANGE OF PROJECTS: INIC EDI LIKE THE 21 JUMP STREET REBOOTS; CRILLY ACCLAIMED DRAMAS LIKE FOXTCHER; AND BIG-BUDGET ANCHIS LIKE G.I. JOE. NOT TO MENTN HIS OWN MAGIC MIKE, WHICH SPAWNED A 2015 SEQUEL, MAGIC MIKE XXL, A LIVE SHOW VEGAS WH VERSNS LONDON AND MIAMI, AND A REALY SHOW ON HBO MAX.JACKET AND PANTS BY BALENCIAGA; VTAGE BOOTS OM MELET MERNTILE; VTAGE APRON OM STOCK VTAGE.PHOTOGRAPH BY MAR SORRENTI; STYLED BY GEE CORTA.TATUM NEVER GRADUATED OM LLEGE, BUT HE TURNED OUT TO BE A VERY APT BSMAN. MAGIC MIKE LAND HIM ON THE LIST OF HIGHT-PAID ACTORS HOLLYWOOD, A PLACE HE NTU TO OCCUPY, HAVG RECENTLY NEGOTIATED A REPORTED $25 LN AL WH AMAZON TO PRODUCE AND STAR THE SPY THRILLER RED SHIRT. BUT ACRDG TO CAROL, MONEY ISN’T TATUM’S MA MOTIVATN. “IT’S NOT LIKE THERE’S SOME MATERIALIST END TO HIS AMBNS, LIKE ‘I WANT TO MAKE A BILLN DOLLARS,’ ” HE SAYS. “IT’S MORE LIKE, ‘WHAT WOULD BE THE MOST TERTG E OF MY TIME?’ HE’S A GENUE ARTIST THAT WAY.”SOMEWHERE BETWEEN BEG NAMED THE SEXIT MAN ALIVE BY PEOPLE AND ONE OF THE MOST FLUENTIAL BY TIME, TATUM REALIZED HE’D STOPPED HAVG FUN. HE WAS VASTATED WHEN STUD EXECS PULLED THE PLUG ON A MARVEL MOVIE HE AND CAROL HAD SPENT YEARS VELOPG, BASED ON THE X-MEN CHARACTER GAMB. “IT GOT SWALLOWED UP TO DISNEY BY WAY OF MARVEL WHEN THEY BOUGHT FOX, AND ULTIMATELY I JT THK THAT THE TONE OF THE MOVIE WE WANTED TO MAKE WAS VERY FAR OM WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO—OR, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEY’RE WAG TO SEE HOW THEY DO WH OR WHOUT ,” SAYS TATUM. “WE LL EVERY ONCE A WHILE, BUT WE’VE GOT TO SPIRUALLY, EMOTNALLY, KD OF MENTALLY LET GO.”BUT WAS MORE THAN THAT. SOMETHG FELT OFF. “I WAS WORKG A LOT,” HE RELLS. “I HAD GOTTEN TO WORK WH SOME OF MY FAVORE DIRECTORS. I HAD CHECKED BOX THAT I WOULD NEVER HAVE HOPED TO DREAM ABOUT. BUT SOMETHG JT WASN’T QUE FILLG ME UP. I WAS SORT OF KD OF JT TRYG NOT TO BE BAD MOVI, STEAD OF BEG GOOD. AND I WAS KD OF GOG, ‘WHAT’S…’ AND REALLY HAD NOTHG TO DO WH MY WORK. IT WAS REALLY ABOUT MY LIFE.”TATUM AND JENNA DEWAN HAD BEEN TOGETHER EVER SCE THEY MET ON THE 2006 MOVIE STEP UP, WHICH, SE YOU MISSED , WAS ONE OF THOSE DANCE MOVI WHERE THE BALLERA FALLS LOVE WH THE ROUGH-AND-TUMBLE STREET DANCER. THEIR REAL-LIFE PARTNERSHIP SEEMED TO MIRROR THE PLOT: DEWAN WAS A BETIFUL, POISED FORMER PROFSNAL DANCER TO WELLNS AND VEGANISM. TATUM WAS AN EX-STRIPPER OM FLORIDA WHO HATED VEGETABL AND WORE BASEBALL PS SIWAYS WELL TO HIS 30S.SANDRA BULLOCK, HIS GOOD IEND AND STAR, LLS HIM “A BETIFUL EVOLVED GOOFBALL WHO BRGS JOY WHEREVER HE GO.”BUT UNLIKE WHAT YOU SEE THE MOVI, TWO WILDLY DIFFERENT PEOPLE NNOT ALWAYS LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER. “WE FOUGHT FOR FOR A REALLY LONG TIME, EVEN THOUGH WE BOTH SORT OF KNEW THAT WE HAD SORT OF GROWN APART,” TATUM RELLS AT BNCH.“I THK WE TOLD OURSELV A STORY WHEN WE WERE YOUNG, AND WE JT KEPT TELLG OURSELV THAT STORY, NO MATTER HOW BLATANTLY LIFE WAS TELLG THAT WE WERE SO DIFFERENT. BUT WHEN YOU’RE ACTUALLY PARENTS,” HE GO ON, “YOU REALLY UNRSTAND DIFFERENC BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU. BEE IS SCREAMG AT YOU ALL DAY LONG. HOW YOU PARENT DIFFERENTLY, HOW YOU LOOK AT THE WORLD, HOW YOU GO THROUGH THE WORLD.”IN THE END, TRY AS THEY MIGHT, THEY ULD NO LONGER FD THE FUN. “IN THE BEGNG, WAS SUPER SRY AND TERRIFYG,” HE SAYS OF THEIR IAL SEPARATN. “YOUR LIFE JT TURNS ON S AXIS. THIS WHOLE PLAN THAT YOU HAD LERALLY JT TURNS TO SAND AND GO THROUGH YOUR FGERS AND YOU’RE JT LIKE, ‘OH, SH. WHAT NOW?’ ”BUT, ON THE BRIGHT SI, TATUM NTU:“IT WAS PROBABLY EXACTLY WHAT I NEED. I DON’T THK I WOULD’VE EVER DONE THE WORK, I THK, ON MYSELF THE WAY THAT I HAD TO DO THE WORK ON MYSELF TO REALLY TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT NEXT. AND REALLY, JT STARTED WH MY DGHTER. I JT DROPPED EVERYTHG AND JT FOCED ON HER. AND WAS TLY THE BT POSSIBLE THG THAT I EVER ULD HAVE DONE. BEE THE ALONE TIME THAT I HAVE WH JT ME AND HER, WE’VE BEE BT IENDS.”SEE WHAT I MEAN? HE EVEN MAK A DIVORCE SOUND KD OF GREAT.VTAGE JACKET OM STOCK VTAGE; VTAGE OVERALLS AND SHIRT OM RAGGEDY THREADS.PHOTOGRAPH BY MAR SORRENTI; STYLED BY GEE CORTA.TO BE CLEAR, HE WASN’T JT STG AROUND HIS FEELGS. TATUM RARELY STAYS STILL, AND DURG HIS SUPPOSED HIAT HE MANAGED TO ACPLISH MORE THAN MOST PEOPLE DO THEIR ENTIRE LIV: HE PATED, HE SCULPTED. (“I LIKE ANATOMY,” HE SAYS. “NOT LIKE A DAHMER WAY, BUT IF YOU GIVE ME A PIECE OF CLAY, I ULD MAKE YOUR HAND.”) HE GOT REALLY HARD-RE TO DIRT BIK AND WENT HIKG THE MOUNTAS OF NORWAY WH THE BRISH ADVENTURER BEAR GRYLLS. HE STARTED A CHILDREN’S BOOK SERI ABOUT SPARKELLA, A TUTU-WEARG GIRL WH A FUN-LOVG DAD (THE THIRD ONE OUT THIS YEAR), AND BEGAN WORK ON A ROMANCE NOVEL WH THE WRER AND SOCIAL MENTATOR ROXANE GAY, WHOM HE BEIEND AFTER SHE WROTE ABOUT WANTG TO “HUG EVERY PART OF HIM WH MY MOUTH” ONLE. “SHE HAS ALMOST A ROUGHED-OUT OUTLE OF A STORY THAT WE BOTH LOVE,” HE SAYS. “WE JT GOT TO FD TIME TO DO . SHE’S THE BIT, SHE’S WAY BIER THAN I AM.”HE AND CAROL ALSO DIRECTED DOG, A MAN-AND-NE STORY SPIRED BY THE ATH OF TATUM’S BELOVED DOG LULU. ALTHOUGH THE SCRIPT, THE DOG LIV: “YOU DON’T WANT PEOPLE TO BE CRYG THEIR EY OUT,” TATUM EXPLAS. “ESPECIALLY NOWADAYS. J. NO ONE WANTS TO SEE A SAD MOVIE.”DOG, WHICH ME OUT LAST YEAR, AND THE LOST CY, A ROM- WHICH HE PLAYS A FAB-QUE MOL OPPOSE SANDRA BULLOCK’S JAD ROMANCE WRER, MARKED THE OFFICIAL END TO TATUM’S HIAT, ALTHOUGH JT AS HE BEGAN TO EMERGE, THE WORLD SHUT DOWN.“IT WAS A SHSHOW,” SAYS BULLOCK OF THE HAVOC THE PANMIC WROUGHT ON THE PRODUCTN, WHICH FILMED THE DOMIN REPUBLIC. BUT WORKED OUT. “THE BETY ABOUT CHANNG IS, WHILE HE IS BRILLIANT AND SAVVY AND A BSMAN, THAT IS UPLED WH THE SPIR AND JOY AND THE HIBN OF, LIKE, A CHILD,” SHE ADDS, TALKG ABOUT HOW THEY SWAM AND RO DIRT BIK ON THE BEACH ON THEIR DAYS OFF. “HE’S JT LIKE A BETIFUL EVOLVED GOOFBALL WHO BRGS JOY WHEREVER HE GO.”IN PROJECT ARTEMIS, THE MOVIE HE’S CURRENTLY FILMG WH SRLETT JOHANSSON ATLANTA, TATUM PLAYS A NASA LNCH DIRECTOR DURG THE APOLLO PROGRAM, WHICH ONE MIGHT TERPRET AS AN ATTEMPT TO “TRANSN GRACEFULLY TO THE SHIRT-ON PHASE” OF HIS REER, AS BULLOCK’S CHARACTER PUTS THE LOST CY. BUT, SAYS TATUM, “I DOUBT THAT I’LL BE ABLE TO KEEP MY CLOTH ON FOREVER.”CERTALY NOT AFTER DIENC TAKE MAGIC MIKE’S LAST DANCE, FOR WHICH TATUM GOT TO “THE BT SHAPE OF MY ENTIRE LIFE,” HE TELLS ME, AT WHICH POT I ACTUALLY HAVE TO STOP MAKG EYE NTACT WH HIM BEE, LIKE, I KNOW. THE EVINCE IS VERY MUCH ON DISPLAY THE THIRD AND FAL STALLMENT OF THE ANCHISE, WHICH BEGS WH A SCENE WHICH THE TLE CHARACTER DRY-HUMPS A CHARACTER PLAYED BY SALMA HAYEK PLT FOR SO LONG AND SO MANY DIFFERENT POSNS THAT MAY E BRA HEMORRHAG WOMEN OVER 40.“IN BS, I HAVE NO REAL FEAR OF ANYTHG BEG STROYED,” SAYS TATUM. “BUT HEART THGS, WHEN TO PEOPLE I LOVE, I HAVE A REALLY HARD TIME.”“HELL, Y,” TATUM SAYS WHEN I ASK IF WAS AWKWARD TO BURY HIS FACE MRS. FRANçOIS-HENRI PLT’S CROTCH AND RRY HER AROUND A ROOM WH HER LEGS WRAPPED AROUND HIS NECK. “I MEAN, SHE WAS ONE OF MY FIRST CSH. BUT I DO HAVE TO SAY THAT’S ALMOST THE FORT ZONE FOR ME.”IT’S HARD TO IMAGE NOW, BUT BACK 2012 FEW HAD EXPECTED THE PRIMARY DIENCE FOR MAGIC MIKE TO BE WOMEN. FEMALE SIRE WASN’T SOMETHG POPULARLY ACKNOWLEDGED OR TALKED ABOUT UNTIL SUDNLY WAS EVERYWHERE. “WE UGHT THE FIFTY SHAS WAVE,” SAYS PETER KIERNAN, TATUM’S FORMER MANAGER AND A PARTNER HIS PRODUCTN PANY, WHICH RELNCHED AS FREE ASSOCIATN AFTER TATUM & CO. CID MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO HAVE FUN THE BS PAST THE RIPE OLD AGE OF 33 AFTER ALL.STILL, THEY DIDN’T HAVE THIS DIENCE TOP OF MD WHEN THEY MA MAGIC MIKE XXL. AS THE FIRST MOVIE, THE ACTN CENTERS ON THE MALE CHARACTERS, SOMETHG THAT AS TIME WENT ON AND THE WORLD CHANGED, TATUM BEGAN TO HAVE MISGIVGS ABOUT. “REALLY, THE FIRST TWO MOVI ARE FEATHERED-FISH SORT OF MOVI, MY OPN,” HE SAYS NOW. “THEY’RE MOVI ABOUT MEN MA FOR WOMEN, OR PEOPLE THAT LIKE MEN, BUT NONE OF THEM HAD REALLY STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS. SO FELT LIKE WE SORT OF HOODWKED PEOPLE ON SOME LEVEL. LIKE WE CHEATED THE .”TATUM GREW UP AROUND STRONG WOMEN, HE POTS OUT. HE IS VERY CLOSE TO HIS MOTHER AND SISTER. BUT HE PPOTS HIS RECENT FEMIST AWAKENG TO THE BIRTH OF HIS DGHTER. “ONLY HAVG A DGHTER DID START TO REALLY SRE ME HOW SRY THE WORLD IS FOR WOMEN,” HE TELLS ME. “YOU N NCEIVE WHEN YOU LOVE SOMEONE THAT IS A GIRL, BUT DON’T LAND THE SAME WAY AS HAVG A TY FEMALE HUMAN THE WORLD THAT IS SO VULNERABLE AND LOOKG AT THE WORLD THROUGH ROSE-LORED GLASS.”HEARG THE REVELATNS OF THE NEWLY WOKE N BE AS IRRATG AS HEARG SOMEONE TALK ABOUT THEIR DREAMS, BUT TATUM ACROSS AS GENUE.“FOR WHATEVER REASON, HE IS TIMATELY AWARE OF HIS PRIVILEGE,” GAY TOLD ME AN EMAIL. “HE DON’T APOLOGIZE FOR , WHICH IS, ANKLY, REHG. LIKE, YOU’RE AN ABSURDLY ATTRACTIVE FAMO WEALTHY WHE MAN. PLEASE DON’T PRETEND THAT ISN’T GREAT. BUT HE TREATS PEOPLE WELL,” SHE ADD, NOTG THAT ON THEIR “FUN AND SEXY” ROMANCE-NOVEL PROJECT, TATUM WENT OUT OF HIS WAY TO ENSURE THEY WERE PAID EQUALLY.“TO BE CLEAR, THAT IS THE RIGHT THG TO DO,” GAY POTED OUT. “AND WE SHOULDN’T GIVE MEDALS TO PEOPLE FOR DOG THE RIGHT THG, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, MOST PEOPLE SIMPLY DON’T DO THE RIGHT THG AND IS NOTABLE WHEN HAPPENS.”NOTABLY, MAGIC MIKE’S LAST DANCE HAS A FEMALE LEAD THE FORM OF HAYEK PLT, WHO PLAYS MAXANDRA MENDOZA, A WEALTHY DIVORCéE WHO GETS HER GROOVE BACK BY REIMAGG A WORN-OUT WT END SHOW AS A MALE REVUE FOR THE THKG WOMAN. “I THK WE WANTED THAT SPECIFILLY BEE I FEEL SOME SORT OF MORE RPONSIBILY THAT THE OTHER MOVI WEREN’T ABOUT WOMEN, THEY WERE ABOUT MEN,” TATUM SAYS. “AND WE TRIED TO TROJAN-HORSE SOME REAL FEEL-GOOD, I DON’T WANT TO SAY WOMAN EMPOWERMENT, SELF-TROSPECTN STUFF THERE,” HE ADDS, ALTHOUGH THIS MIGHT NOT BE QUE THE RIGHT METAPHOR, SCE THE THEME IS PRETTY ONT AND CENTER.“WOULDN’T BE CHVISTIC TO HAVE A SHOW ABOUT WOMEN EMPOWERMENT THAT DON’T HAVE A FEMALE CHARACTER?” A CHARACTER CLAR AT SOME POT.LIKE, THE HORSE IS RIGHT THERE.SHIRT BY LORO PIANA.PHOTOGRAPH BY MAR SORRENTI; STYLED BY GEE CORTA.IF ANYTHG IS BEG SMUGGLED , MIGHT BE THE PLOT, WHICH WAS SPIRED BY THE CREATN OF MAGIC MIKE LIVE AND, LIKE THE MOVI, IS SEMI-TOBGRAPHIL:“IT BEGS WH MIKE, AT 40, BASILLY BEG LIKE, ‘ALL RIGHT, I DID THE WHOLE TAKG MYSELF SERLY THG, I STARTED A PANY THAT ULTIMATELY I BUILT UP THIS GREAT WAY, THIS WAY THAT I ALWAYS DREAMED OF,’ ” TATUM SAYS. “ ‘BUT STILL DIDN’T FULFILL ME. IT WASN’T THE THG I THOUGHT THAT WAS GOG TO MAKE ME WHOLE, OR MAKE ME HAVE SELF-RPECT OR WORTH OR WHATEVER.’ AND THEN THIS OPPORTUNY THROUGH THAT A WAY BRGS HIM BACK TO THE THG THAT HE STARTED AS.” ALTHOUGH ’S UNLIKELY THAT ANYONE WILL NOTICE, GIVEN THE AFOREMENTNED DRY-HUMPG SCENE.“I DON’T KNOW IF I’M EVER GOG TO GET MARRIED AGA,” SAYS TATUM, WHO SUGGTS WE GET A FOOT MASSAGE AFTER OUR POTTERY LSON. THERE’S A PLACE NEARBY, ONE HE’S BEEN GOG TO SCE HE STARTED SPENDG MORE TIME NEW YORK WH KRAVZ. TATUM IS, HE ADMS, A SERIAL MONOGAMIST. AFTER HE AND HIS WIFE SEPARATED, HE DATED THE SGER JSIE J ON AND OFF FOR NEARLY TWO YEARS.HE FIRST MET KRAVZ AFTER READG AN EARLY DRAFT OF PSY ISLAND, WHICH SHE AND HER WRER HAD BEEN SPIRED TO WRE AFTER READG STORI ABOUT POWERFUL MEN TAKG ADVANTAGE OF WOMEN. SHE HAD HIM MD FOR THE ISLAND’S OWNER, A SISTER TECH BILLNAIRE FAR REMOVED OM THE AFFABLE, FUN-LOVG TYP HE UALLY PLAYS. “I THOUGHT WAS SUPER PUNK ROCK,” TATUM RELLS. “SHE HAD PASSN THERE, AND SHE HAD A POT OF VIEW THAT WAS REALLY SPECIFIC TO WHO SHE WAS AND WHAT HER EXPERIENCE WAS. BUT I WASN’T SURE WAS CLEAR YET, WHAT WANTED TO BE.” THEY AGREED TO KEEP TALKG. “LERALLY, AFTER THAT MEETG, MY LIFE WENT HOW DID AND WE LOST TOUCH,” HE SAYS. “THEN, CUT TO TWO AND A HALF YEARS LATER, THEY HAD A NEW DRAFT, AND WAS GREAT. I WAS LIKE, ‘WOW. YOU ARE REALLY SAYG SOMETHG,’ ” HE GO ON. “THAT’S THE KD OF PERSON YOU WANT TO CREATE WH. THAT REALLY HAS THIS PERSPECTIVE THEY’RE NSTANTLY DIGGG FOR.”TATUM’S PANY IS ALSO HELPG TO PRODUCE THE FILM, WHICH KRAVZ DIRECTED. “WEIRDLY, WAS FORTABLE,” HE SAYS, ADDG THAT WORK, LIKE PLANTG HIS FACE A WOMAN’S LAP, IS ALSO HIS FORT ZONE.“RELATNSHIPS ARE HARD FOR ME,” TATUM SAYS, UNFURLG HIS SOCKS. “EVEN THOUGH I AM A B OF A MONOGAMIST. IN BS, I HAVE NO REAL FEAR OF ANYTHG BEG STROYED. BUT HEART THGS, WHEN TO PEOPLE I LOVE, I HAVE A REALLY HARD TIME. I END UP TRYG TOO HARD, YOU KNOW?”IN OTHER WORDS, AS THE TER OBSERVED AFTER TATUM WAS DISVERED TO BE FOLLOWG A NUMBER OF KRAVZ’S FAN ACUNTS ON INSTAGRAM: “I HAVE NO CHILL.” IT WAS NOCENT, HE SWEARS. “I WAS JT SEEG WHAT SHE WAS UP TO! ALSO, I DIDN’T KNOW ANYONE WOULD KNOW.”BUT THE DAYS HE’S TRYG TO HAVE MORE CHILL GENERAL. “SO I N ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE THE MOMENTS, STEAD OF JT TRYG TO CHANGE OR SOMETHG,” HE SAYS. “OR BEG AAID THAT ’S NOT GOG TO WORK OUT HOW I WANTED OR SOMETHG.”VTAGE JACKET AND SHIRT OM STOCK VTAGE; VTAGE PANTS AND APRON OM MELET MERNTILE. PHOTOGRAPH BY MAR SORRENTI; STYLED BY GEE CORTA.“YOU KNOW WHEN THGS ARE KD OF JT WORKG, YOU DON’T WANT TO TOUCH ? LIKE POTTERY,” HE ADDS. “LIKE POTTERY. IF I KEEP PRSG ON , ’S GOG TO BUCK ME OFF. AND YOU’RE JT LIKE, ‘OOH. MAYBE I SHOULD STOP.’”HE NSIRS. “I THK LIFE—”“SHHH.” THE GUY MASSAGG TATUM’S FEET HH HIM. SOMEONE BEHD A SCREEN IS GETTG A FULL-BODY MASSAGE, AND HE DON’T WANT TO TERPT THEIR ZEN WH OUR CHATTER.“THIS IS HILAR,” TATUM WHISPERS.AFTERWARD, TATUM OFFERS TO WALK ME TO THE SUBWAY SO HE N FISH HIS THOUGHT. “I THK LIFE HAS A REALLY FUN WAY TO GIVE YOU EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED WHEN YOU NEED ,” HE SAYS. “NOT MEANG GIFTS, OR ANYTHG LIKE THAT. BUT WHAT YOU NEED TO LEARN.”EARLY ON HIS SEPARATN, HE SAYS, WHEN THGS WERE STILL REALLY RAW AND PAFUL, REID CAROL TOLD HIM ABOUT A PROFSOR OF PARATIVE RELIGN WHO SAYS THAT THE BT WISDOM OM PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST “TWO WORLDS.” “MEANG LIKE EXPERIENC, TWO KD OF LIFE-ATHS WHERE EVERYTHG CHANG,” TATUM EXPLAS.“EVERYTHG THAT YOU THOUGHT WAS JT ALL OF A SUDN A BLK OF AN EYE, YOU LOSE A CHILD OR YOU, YEAH, GET A DIVORCE, YOUR LIFE FALLS APART. YOU KNOW? WHERE YOUR WORLD AS YOU KNOW PLETELY JT EVAPORAT ONT OF YOUR FACE FOREVER. SO HE’S SAYG WISDOM ONLY OM PEOPLE WHO HAVE REALLY HAD A LIFE AND EXPERIENCED THE SPECTM OF LIFE, AND ALL THE PEAKS AND THE VALLEYS, IF YOU WILL. AND REID’S LIKE, ‘SO YOU’RE HALFWAY THERE, CHAMP.’ ”I WAS LIKE, “ALL RIGHT. YEAH, THAT’S A GOOD WAY TO SP .”GROOMG, JAMIE TAYLOR; TAILOR, YASME EZELI; SET SIGN, PHILIPP HAEMMERLE. FOR TAILS, GO TO MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, INHERG GRACELAND, AND MORETE CRIME, TE FAH: THE SERIAL KILLER AND THE TEXAS MOM WHO STOPPED HIMTHE TAN SUBMERSIBLE DISASTER WAS YEARS THE MAKG, NEW DETAILS REVEALWHY THE GEIA INDICTMENT AGAST TMP AND HIS ALLI IS THE MOST SWEEPG YETIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERA NEW SLIM AARONS BOOK CAPTUR A LOST WORLDTHE 25 BT SHOWS ON NETFLIX TO WATCH RIGHT NOWFROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)JSI PRSLER

CHANNG TATUM IS BACK FOR MAGIC MIKE’S LAST DANCEAND READY TO TALK ABOUT LIFE, LOVE, AND LEARNG TO BE A FEMIST.BY JSI PRSLERPHOTOGRAPHY BY MAR SORRENTISTYLED BY GEE CORTAJANUARY 17, 2023CHANNG TATUM, PHOTOGRAPHED BROOKLYN, NOVEMBER 9, 2022. HAT BY STETSON; VTAGE TANK TOP OM STOCK VTAGE.PHOTOGRAPH BY MARIO SORRENTI; STYLED BY GEORGE CORTINA.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVE“I’LL GO SLOW,” PROMIS CHANNG TATUM. HE LOOKS DOWN, HIS CHISELED BROW FURROWED NCERN. “HOW’S THAT?” HE ASKS. “TOO SLOW?”AS AN ATHLETE AND A DANCER, TATUM IS ED TO NTORTG HIS BODY TO EXOTIC POSNS, AND DON’T TAKE LONG FOR HIM TO FD HIS RHYTHM.“OH, YEAH,” HE SAYS. HIS THIGHS ARE TT. HIS MASSIVE HANDS ARE MA FOR STUFF LIKE THIS. “THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKG ABOUT. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.”I FD MYSELF STARTG TO LOSE NTROL. “OH, GOD,” I SAY. “OH, SH.”“OH, YEAH!” TATUM ANNOUNC TRIUMPHANTLY. “WE’RE MAKG A BABY!”JACKET BY RALPH LREN PURPLE LABEL; SHIRT BY GRG ARMANI; VTAGE PANTS OM RAGGEDY THREADS; VTAGE BOOTS OM MELET MERNTILE. PHOTOGRAPH BY MAR SORRENTI; STYLED BY GEE CORTA.“OH, NOOO,” I SHRIEK. THE HUNK OF CLAY I HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTG TO MAKE TO A VASE SLIPS OM MY GRASP AND FLGS SELF DRAMATILLY OFF THE POTTERY WHEEL, WHICH NTU TO SP MADLY, SPLATTERG ME WH VIS BROWN LIQUID UNTIL THE STCTOR AT THE BROOKLYN STUD WHERE WE’VE BEEN TAKG A LSON OVER TO GENTLY REMD ME TO TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE PEDAL.TEE-HEE-HEE. I HEAR A GIGGLE OM THE NEXT WHEEL OVER. TATUM IS HUNCHED LIKE A GIANT OVER HIS TY BUD VASE, HIS BROAD SHOULRS, ENSED A WHE LONG-SLEEVE T-SHIRT WH “THE POWER TO SATISFY” WRTEN ACROSS THE CHT, SHAKG WH LGHTER.“IT’S SO FUNNY, DU,” HE MANAG EVENTUALLY. “I WISH THERE WAS A VIO PONENT TO THIS TERVIEW, SO I ULD JT PRS PLAY AND SEE YOU JT, LIKE, RIDG CLAY. LIKE YOU’RE JT TRYG TO HOLD ON TO LIKE ’S A BULL-RIDG PETN, AND YOU KEEP GETTG THROWN OFF.” TEE-HEE-HEE.IF THIS WERE ANY OTHER MOVIE STAR, I’D PROBABLY BE MORTIFIED, BUT TATUM—WHOSE LGH, A HIGH-PCHED SUCCSN OF ACTUAL TEE-HEE-HE—SEEMS SO GENUELY LIGHTED THAT I END UP FEELG LIKE I’VE GIVEN HIM A GIFT.IT HELPS, ALSO, THAT HE’S NOT A PLETE STRANGER. WE FIRST MET BACK 2011, WHEN I TERVIEWED HIM FOR GQ. AN UP-AND-G ACTOR WHOM, GOG TO , I HAD TEGORIZED AS A MOR PLAYER OF THE YOUNG HOLLYWOOD ERA: THE HOT GUY MOVI LIKE STEP UP AND SHE’S THE MAN, HE WAS STARRG A ROMAN HISTORIL DRAMA WHICH HIS CHARACTER APPEARED MCLE-BOUND BODY ARMOR.TWENTY-FOUR HOURS AND I DON’T KNOW HOW MANY TEQUILA SHOTS LATER, I WOKE UP NEXT TO SOME ROCKS THE SERT, WEARG A SNUGGIE AND KEENLY AWARE, SPE MY PIERCG HANER, THAT I HAD BEEN VERY WRONG ABOUT CHANNG TATUM, AND THAT WHILE HE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THE BT-KNOWN ACTOR HOLLYWOOD, HE WAS CERTALY THE MOST FUN. IT’S A LONG STORY. YOU SHOULD PROBABLY GOOGLE .I RAN TO HIM ABOUT A YEAR LATER NEW YORK, JT AS HE WAS ABOUT TO FISH MAGIC MIKE, A MOVIE LOOSELY BASED ON THE TIME HE SPENT AS A STRIPPER TAMPA.“AND I THK SHORTLY AFTER THAT,” TATUM SAYS, SUMMG UP THE PERD BETWEEN THEN AND NOW, “I GOT REALLY BY, AND THEN LIFE KD OF FELL APART, AND THEN I STOPPED WORKG FOR ALMOST FIVE YEARS.”THAT’S THE SHORT VERSN. MORE SPECIFILLY—AS YOU KNOW UNLS YOU’VE BEEN ASLEEP NEXT TO SOME ROCKS THE SERT FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS—MAGIC MIKE WAS AN ENORMO H, A CULTURAL PHENOMENON, AND TATUM BEME AN A-LIST MOVIE STAR, A PRODUCER, A MOGUL, ON THE LEVEL OF ACTORS NAMED BRAD AND RYAN (WHOM HE REFERS TO, CINTALLY, AS HIS “HOMI”). THEN HE DID SOMETHG THAT MOST HOLLYWOOD STARS WOULD FD UNTHKABLE. HE JT…STOPPED.NOW, AFTER A PERD OF SOUL-SEARCHG AND A LENGTHY HIAT OM ACTG, HE’S BACK, WH AT LEAST FIVE MOVI THE PIPELE, CLUDG PSY ISLAND—THE DIRECTORIAL BUT OF HIS NOW GIRLIEND, ZOë KRAVZ—AND THE THIRD STALLMENT OF MAGIC MIKE—MAGIC MIKE’S LAST DANCE.SO, GIVEN THAT OUR TOLERANCE FOR TEQUILA ISN’T WHAT ED TO BE, AND TATUM, 42, HAS JT GOTTEN OVER COVID (WHICH HE CLARED “BORG”), WE’VE OPTED FOR A MELLOW, AGE-APPROPRIATE ERARY: BNCH AND A POTTERY LSON, WHICH SOME PEOPLE SEEM TO THK IS RELAXG.I THWACK A NEW PIECE OF CLAY ONTO MY WHEEL. “YOU GOT THIS, GIRL,” CHEERS TATUM. “RI THE CLAY BULL.”JACKET BY BALENCIAGA; VTAGE JUMPSU OM STOCK VTAGE.PHOTOGRAPH BY MAR SORRENTI; STYLED BY GEE CORTA.MOMENTS LATER, HE HAS PRODUCED ANOTHER SMALL VSEL. “NOW I KNOW WHY THEY PUT THIS GHOST,” HE SAYS, THEN SMOOTHS OUT THE LIP OF A PIECE HE NOT LOOKS RATHER LIKE A VAGA. “THIS WHOLE PROCS IS VERY, VERY SEXUAL.”MEANWHILE, MY CLAY IS FLAPPG AROUND ALL OVER THE PLACE. “GHOST WAS GREAT,” I MUTTER AS I STGGLE TO GET AHOLD OF .“WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE RIGHTS,” TATUM SAYS.“WA, WHAT?”“YEAH, WE HAVE THE RIGHTS TO GHOST.”I PRS HARD ON THE CLAY WHILE HE TELLS ABOUT HOW HIS PRODUCTN PANY, FREE ASSOCIATN, IS TRYG TO PULL TOGETHER A REMAKE OF GHOST, WH HIM POTENTIALLY PLAYG THE PATRICK SWAYZE ROLE. “BUT WE’RE GOG TO DO SOMETHG DIFFERENT,” HE SAYS, ADDG THAT THE ORIGAL, LIKE MANY MOVI OF S DAY, NTAED SOME PROBLEMATIC STEREOTYP. “I THK NEEDS TO CHANGE A LTLE B AND HAVE OUR…”THHHRRMP. TATUM LOOKS UP OM HIS VAGA AS MY WHEEL MAK AN ANGRY SPLUTTERG SOUND.“THIS IS THE FUNNIT THG I HAVE EXPERIENCED A REALLY LONG TIME,” HE PROCLAIMS AS I WIPE CLAY OM MY EYEBROWS AGA. “YOU’RE TRYG SO HARD TO HAVE A NVERSATN WH ME, AND YOU’RE JT GETTG YOUR ASS BEAT BY A WHEEL AND A PIECE OF CLAY. IT’S SO GOOD.” TEE-HEE-HEE.“I LIKE LGHG,” TATUM TOLD ME EARLIER THAT MORNG. “I LIKE FDG THE HILARNS THGS.” WE WERE SEATED OUTSI AT A DER WILLIAMSBURG (WHERE ZOë KRAVZ LIV), WHICH SPECIALIZED BAGELS—WHICH WAS UNFORTUNATE, BEE TATUM N’T REALLY DO RBS. “MY FACE GETS REALLY FAT REALLY FAST,” HE EXPLAED. ONCE, TO PLEASE HIS EX-WIFE, HE’D HIRED A VEGAN CHEF WHO WRAPPED EVERYTHG BREAD. “I JT GOT FATTER AND FATTER AND FATTER,” HE SAID, HIS HANDS MOVG AWAY OM HIS FACE TO DITE A HEAD EXPANDG LIKE A PARA-FLOAT BALLOON. THIS WAS ALSO HILAR, HE ADD.LIKE MANY KIDS WH WANRG ATTENTN SPANS AND EXCS ENERGY, TATUM LEARNED EARLY HOW TO E HUMOR TO FLECT ATTENTN AND FE TENSN, A STRATEGY THAT, AS HE HAS GOTTEN OLR, SEEMS TO HAVE MORPHED TO A KD OF WORLDVIEW, AN ABILY TO SEE THE SILVER LG SUATNS THAT OTHERS MIGHT FD UNFORTABLE OR UNPLEASANT. “I DON’T WANT TO GET ALL RNY, BUT I GUS THAT IS KD OF MY PG MECHANISM LIFE, IS TO FD THE FUN.”TATUM WAS DISVERED TO BE FOLLOWG A NUMBER OF KRAVZ’S FAN ACUNTS ON INSTAGRAM: “I HAVE NO CHILL.” IT WAS NOCENT, HE SWEARS. “I WAS JT SEEG WHAT SHE WAS UP TO! ALSO, I DIDN’T KNOW ANYONE WOULD KNOW.”“THIS IS GOG TO BE CRAZY,” HE TOLD HIS IEND AS THEY SLIPPED ON THONGS AT JOY, THE STRIP CLUB TAMPA WHERE HE STARTED DANCG AT 18, EFFECTIVELY RCG THE EXPERIENCE TO A FUNNY ANECDOTE AS WAS HAPPENG. THIS OUTLOOK WAS EFUL HOLLYWOOD, AN DTRY THAT N BE SIAR TO STRIP CLUBS, WHERE ONE N EASILY END UP A BAD SUATN.“THE DTRY IS FAIRLY BTAL IF YOU HAVE A SPARK OF CREATIVY,” SAYS REID CAROL, WHO WAS HIS EARLY 20S AND WORKG AS ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR ON THE 2008 MOVIE STOP-LOSS WHEN HE MET TATUM. TATUM WAS PLAYG A SOLDIER, THE KD OF ROLE THAT, AS A MCULAR WHE MAN WH A HT OF WILDNS BEHD THE EY, HE’D BE ASKED TO PLAY MANY TIM OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, CLUDG DEAR JOHN, G.I. JOE, HAYWIRE, AND THE ROMAN MOVIE, THE EAGLE. “YOU GET TYPEST,” SAYS CAROL, WHO BEME IENDS AND EVENTUALLY BS PARTNERS WH TATUM. “WE PRETTY QUICKLY REALIZED THE ONLY WAY WE ULD FD FULFILLMENT THE DTRY WAS TO CREATE AND RETA OWNERSHIP OF OUR OWN MATERIAL.”THEY FORMED A PRODUCTN PANY, WHICH THEY LLED 33&OUT, WH THE GOAL OF WORKG AS HARD—AND HAVG AS MUCH FUN—AS THEY ULD UNTIL THEY REACHED THE SO-LLED J YEAR, AT WHICH POT THEY’D PEACE OUT. “GO AND LIVE ON AN ISLAND SOMEWHERE,” AS TATUM TOLD ME BACK 2011.WHEN STEVEN SORBERGH, WHO’D DIRECTED TATUM HAYWIRE, EXPRSED TERT DIRECTG A MOVIE ABOUT TATUM’S PAST LIFE AS A STRIPPER, THEY JUMPED AT THE OPPORTUNY. CAROL, WHO’D NEVER SOLD A FEATURE-FILM SCRIPT BEFORE, BEGAN WORKG ON A STORY THEY SAW AS BEG LIKE BOOGIE NIGHTS OR SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER: A DARKLY EDIC TALE ABOUT A YOUNG MAN WHO ENTERS A WORLD THAT IS SUPERFICIALLY SEXY BUT ULTIMATELY PRETTY GRIM. “BEE THAT WORLD IS NOT ROSY,” TATUM POTS OUT. “SOME OF THE WORST PEOPLE I’VE EVER MET MY ENTIRE LIFE WERE THAT REALM.”VTAGE SHIRT AND P OM RAGGEDY THREADS.PHOTOGRAPH BY MAR SORRENTI; STYLED BY GEE CORTA.THEN AGA, A MOVIE ABOUT THE WORST PEOPLE THE WORLD DON’T SOUND LIKE VERY MUCH FUN. “SO CHAN THOUGHT THAT MAYBE WE ULD SORT OF CLEAN UP AND MAKE BE SOMETHG DIFFERENT,” CAROL RELLS. THE END RULT—A ROM- ABOUT A HOT MALE STRIPPER WH A HEART OF GOLD DRY-HUMPG HIS WAY TO HIS DREAM OF OWNG HIS OWN BS—WAS A LOT MORE FUN.SANDRA BULLOCK, “LIKE EVERY OTHER WOMAN AMERI,” SHED TO THE THEATER, WHERE SHE REGNIZED THE GUY GRDG ON ALL FOURS—A SIGNATURE MOVE TATUM LLS THE OLD FAHFUL—AS THE SAME ONE WHO HAD CRASHED HER BIRTHDAY PARTY A FEW YEARS BEFORE. “THE DANCE FLOOR HAD NEVER BEEN SO HAPPY,” SHE RELLS.NEEDLS TO SAY, TATUM DIDN’T NEED TO CRASH PARTI AFTER THAT. “I WOULD GO TO THE MEETGS AND ALL THE FEMALE EXECUTIV WOULD BE THERE, LIKE, ‘WHAT A GEIC SPECIMEN, WHAT A GIFT,’ ” SAYS CODY HORN, WHO PLAYED TATUM’S LOVE TERT THE MOVIE AND LATER MARRIED CAROL.HORN BRGS UP SOMETHG I ALSO NOTICED ABOUT TATUM, WHICH IS THAT HIS PRENCE, ’S WEIRDLY EASY TO FET HE IS AN TERNATNALLY FAMO MOVIE STAR AND UNIVERSALLY REVERED SEX GOD WHOSE SUAL HOODIE NCEALS A SET OF ABS MORE VALUABLE THAN THE HOPE DIAMOND. “HE SO RARELY RRI HIS MOVIE STAR–NS AROUND HIS EVERYDAY LIFE, ’S ALMOST SURPRISG WHEN HE DO TURN TO THAT GUY,” SAYS HORN. “AND WHEN HE DO, THERE IS SUCH A MAGISM TO HIM THAT YOU N HARDLY LOOK AT HIM WHOUT FALLG ON THE FLOOR. IT’S SANELY SEXY. YOU’RE KD OF LIKE, ‘EXCE ME, TURN THAT OFF.’ ”TATUM’S ABILY TO SHIFT TO REGULAR-GUY MO ALSO ENABLED HIM TO SUCCSFULLY CROSS GENR. IN THE 2010S, HE WORKED NONSTOP ON A WI RANGE OF PROJECTS: INIC EDI LIKE THE 21 JUMP STREET REBOOTS; CRILLY ACCLAIMED DRAMAS LIKE FOXTCHER; AND BIG-BUDGET ANCHIS LIKE G.I. JOE. NOT TO MENTN HIS OWN MAGIC MIKE, WHICH SPAWNED A 2015 SEQUEL, MAGIC MIKE XXL, A LIVE SHOW VEGAS WH VERSNS LONDON AND MIAMI, AND A REALY SHOW ON HBO MAX.JACKET AND PANTS BY BALENCIAGA; VTAGE BOOTS OM MELET MERNTILE; VTAGE APRON OM STOCK VTAGE.PHOTOGRAPH BY MAR SORRENTI; STYLED BY GEE CORTA.TATUM NEVER GRADUATED OM LLEGE, BUT HE TURNED OUT TO BE A VERY APT BSMAN. MAGIC MIKE LAND HIM ON THE LIST OF HIGHT-PAID ACTORS HOLLYWOOD, A PLACE HE NTU TO OCCUPY, HAVG RECENTLY NEGOTIATED A REPORTED $25 LN AL WH AMAZON TO PRODUCE AND STAR THE SPY THRILLER RED SHIRT. BUT ACRDG TO CAROL, MONEY ISN’T TATUM’S MA MOTIVATN. “IT’S NOT LIKE THERE’S SOME MATERIALIST END TO HIS AMBNS, LIKE ‘I WANT TO MAKE A BILLN DOLLARS,’ ” HE SAYS. “IT’S MORE LIKE, ‘WHAT WOULD BE THE MOST TERTG E OF MY TIME?’ HE’S A GENUE ARTIST THAT WAY.”SOMEWHERE BETWEEN BEG NAMED THE SEXIT MAN ALIVE BY PEOPLE AND ONE OF THE MOST FLUENTIAL BY TIME, TATUM REALIZED HE’D STOPPED HAVG FUN. HE WAS VASTATED WHEN STUD EXECS PULLED THE PLUG ON A MARVEL MOVIE HE AND CAROL HAD SPENT YEARS VELOPG, BASED ON THE X-MEN CHARACTER GAMB. “IT GOT SWALLOWED UP TO DISNEY BY WAY OF MARVEL WHEN THEY BOUGHT FOX, AND ULTIMATELY I JT THK THAT THE TONE OF THE MOVIE WE WANTED TO MAKE WAS VERY FAR OM WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO—OR, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEY’RE WAG TO SEE HOW THEY DO WH OR WHOUT ,” SAYS TATUM. “WE LL EVERY ONCE A WHILE, BUT WE’VE GOT TO SPIRUALLY, EMOTNALLY, KD OF MENTALLY LET GO.”BUT WAS MORE THAN THAT. SOMETHG FELT OFF. “I WAS WORKG A LOT,” HE RELLS. “I HAD GOTTEN TO WORK WH SOME OF MY FAVORE DIRECTORS. I HAD CHECKED BOX THAT I WOULD NEVER HAVE HOPED TO DREAM ABOUT. BUT SOMETHG JT WASN’T QUE FILLG ME UP. I WAS SORT OF KD OF JT TRYG NOT TO BE BAD MOVI, STEAD OF BEG GOOD. AND I WAS KD OF GOG, ‘WHAT’S…’ AND REALLY HAD NOTHG TO DO WH MY WORK. IT WAS REALLY ABOUT MY LIFE.”TATUM AND JENNA DEWAN HAD BEEN TOGETHER EVER SCE THEY MET ON THE 2006 MOVIE STEP UP, WHICH, SE YOU MISSED , WAS ONE OF THOSE DANCE MOVI WHERE THE BALLERA FALLS LOVE WH THE ROUGH-AND-TUMBLE STREET DANCER. THEIR REAL-LIFE PARTNERSHIP SEEMED TO MIRROR THE PLOT: DEWAN WAS A BETIFUL, POISED FORMER PROFSNAL DANCER TO WELLNS AND VEGANISM. TATUM WAS AN EX-STRIPPER OM FLORIDA WHO HATED VEGETABL AND WORE BASEBALL PS SIWAYS WELL TO HIS 30S.SANDRA BULLOCK, HIS GOOD IEND AND STAR, LLS HIM “A BETIFUL EVOLVED GOOFBALL WHO BRGS JOY WHEREVER HE GO.”BUT UNLIKE WHAT YOU SEE THE MOVI, TWO WILDLY DIFFERENT PEOPLE NNOT ALWAYS LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER. “WE FOUGHT FOR FOR A REALLY LONG TIME, EVEN THOUGH WE BOTH SORT OF KNEW THAT WE HAD SORT OF GROWN APART,” TATUM RELLS AT BNCH.“I THK WE TOLD OURSELV A STORY WHEN WE WERE YOUNG, AND WE JT KEPT TELLG OURSELV THAT STORY, NO MATTER HOW BLATANTLY LIFE WAS TELLG THAT WE WERE SO DIFFERENT. BUT WHEN YOU’RE ACTUALLY PARENTS,” HE GO ON, “YOU REALLY UNRSTAND DIFFERENC BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU. BEE IS SCREAMG AT YOU ALL DAY LONG. HOW YOU PARENT DIFFERENTLY, HOW YOU LOOK AT THE WORLD, HOW YOU GO THROUGH THE WORLD.”IN THE END, TRY AS THEY MIGHT, THEY ULD NO LONGER FD THE FUN. “IN THE BEGNG, WAS SUPER SRY AND TERRIFYG,” HE SAYS OF THEIR IAL SEPARATN. “YOUR LIFE JT TURNS ON S AXIS. THIS WHOLE PLAN THAT YOU HAD LERALLY JT TURNS TO SAND AND GO THROUGH YOUR FGERS AND YOU’RE JT LIKE, ‘OH, SH. WHAT NOW?’ ”BUT, ON THE BRIGHT SI, TATUM NTU:“IT WAS PROBABLY EXACTLY WHAT I NEED. I DON’T THK I WOULD’VE EVER DONE THE WORK, I THK, ON MYSELF THE WAY THAT I HAD TO DO THE WORK ON MYSELF TO REALLY TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT NEXT. AND REALLY, JT STARTED WH MY DGHTER. I JT DROPPED EVERYTHG AND JT FOCED ON HER. AND WAS TLY THE BT POSSIBLE THG THAT I EVER ULD HAVE DONE. BEE THE ALONE TIME THAT I HAVE WH JT ME AND HER, WE’VE BEE BT IENDS.”SEE WHAT I MEAN? HE EVEN MAK A DIVORCE SOUND KD OF GREAT.VTAGE JACKET OM STOCK VTAGE; VTAGE OVERALLS AND SHIRT OM RAGGEDY THREADS.PHOTOGRAPH BY MAR SORRENTI; STYLED BY GEE CORTA.TO BE CLEAR, HE WASN’T JT STG AROUND HIS FEELGS. TATUM RARELY STAYS STILL, AND DURG HIS SUPPOSED HIAT HE MANAGED TO ACPLISH MORE THAN MOST PEOPLE DO THEIR ENTIRE LIV: HE PATED, HE SCULPTED. (“I LIKE ANATOMY,” HE SAYS. “NOT LIKE A DAHMER WAY, BUT IF YOU GIVE ME A PIECE OF CLAY, I ULD MAKE YOUR HAND.”) HE GOT REALLY HARD-RE TO DIRT BIK AND WENT HIKG THE MOUNTAS OF NORWAY WH THE BRISH ADVENTURER BEAR GRYLLS. HE STARTED A CHILDREN’S BOOK SERI ABOUT SPARKELLA, A TUTU-WEARG GIRL WH A FUN-LOVG DAD (THE THIRD ONE OUT THIS YEAR), AND BEGAN WORK ON A ROMANCE NOVEL WH THE WRER AND SOCIAL MENTATOR ROXANE GAY, WHOM HE BEIEND AFTER SHE WROTE ABOUT WANTG TO “HUG EVERY PART OF HIM WH MY MOUTH” ONLE. “SHE HAS ALMOST A ROUGHED-OUT OUTLE OF A STORY THAT WE BOTH LOVE,” HE SAYS. “WE JT GOT TO FD TIME TO DO . SHE’S THE BIT, SHE’S WAY BIER THAN I AM.”HE AND CAROL ALSO DIRECTED DOG, A MAN-AND-NE STORY SPIRED BY THE ATH OF TATUM’S BELOVED DOG LULU. ALTHOUGH THE SCRIPT, THE DOG LIV: “YOU DON’T WANT PEOPLE TO BE CRYG THEIR EY OUT,” TATUM EXPLAS. “ESPECIALLY NOWADAYS. J. NO ONE WANTS TO SEE A SAD MOVIE.”DOG, WHICH ME OUT LAST YEAR, AND THE LOST CY, A ROM- WHICH HE PLAYS A FAB-QUE MOL OPPOSE SANDRA BULLOCK’S JAD ROMANCE WRER, MARKED THE OFFICIAL END TO TATUM’S HIAT, ALTHOUGH JT AS HE BEGAN TO EMERGE, THE WORLD SHUT DOWN.“IT WAS A SHSHOW,” SAYS BULLOCK OF THE HAVOC THE PANMIC WROUGHT ON THE PRODUCTN, WHICH FILMED THE DOMIN REPUBLIC. BUT WORKED OUT. “THE BETY ABOUT CHANNG IS, WHILE HE IS BRILLIANT AND SAVVY AND A BSMAN, THAT IS UPLED WH THE SPIR AND JOY AND THE HIBN OF, LIKE, A CHILD,” SHE ADDS, TALKG ABOUT HOW THEY SWAM AND RO DIRT BIK ON THE BEACH ON THEIR DAYS OFF. “HE’S JT LIKE A BETIFUL EVOLVED GOOFBALL WHO BRGS JOY WHEREVER HE GO.”IN PROJECT ARTEMIS, THE MOVIE HE’S CURRENTLY FILMG WH SRLETT JOHANSSON ATLANTA, TATUM PLAYS A NASA LNCH DIRECTOR DURG THE APOLLO PROGRAM, WHICH ONE MIGHT TERPRET AS AN ATTEMPT TO “TRANSN GRACEFULLY TO THE SHIRT-ON PHASE” OF HIS REER, AS BULLOCK’S CHARACTER PUTS THE LOST CY. BUT, SAYS TATUM, “I DOUBT THAT I’LL BE ABLE TO KEEP MY CLOTH ON FOREVER.”CERTALY NOT AFTER DIENC TAKE MAGIC MIKE’S LAST DANCE, FOR WHICH TATUM GOT TO “THE BT SHAPE OF MY ENTIRE LIFE,” HE TELLS ME, AT WHICH POT I ACTUALLY HAVE TO STOP MAKG EYE NTACT WH HIM BEE, LIKE, I KNOW. THE EVINCE IS VERY MUCH ON DISPLAY THE THIRD AND FAL STALLMENT OF THE ANCHISE, WHICH BEGS WH A SCENE WHICH THE TLE CHARACTER DRY-HUMPS A CHARACTER PLAYED BY SALMA HAYEK PLT FOR SO LONG AND SO MANY DIFFERENT POSNS THAT MAY E BRA HEMORRHAG WOMEN OVER 40.“IN BS, I HAVE NO REAL FEAR OF ANYTHG BEG STROYED,” SAYS TATUM. “BUT HEART THGS, WHEN TO PEOPLE I LOVE, I HAVE A REALLY HARD TIME.”“HELL, Y,” TATUM SAYS WHEN I ASK IF WAS AWKWARD TO BURY HIS FACE MRS. FRANçOIS-HENRI PLT’S CROTCH AND RRY HER AROUND A ROOM WH HER LEGS WRAPPED AROUND HIS NECK. “I MEAN, SHE WAS ONE OF MY FIRST CSH. BUT I DO HAVE TO SAY THAT’S ALMOST THE FORT ZONE FOR ME.”IT’S HARD TO IMAGE NOW, BUT BACK 2012 FEW HAD EXPECTED THE PRIMARY DIENCE FOR MAGIC MIKE TO BE WOMEN. FEMALE SIRE WASN’T SOMETHG POPULARLY ACKNOWLEDGED OR TALKED ABOUT UNTIL SUDNLY WAS EVERYWHERE. “WE UGHT THE FIFTY SHAS WAVE,” SAYS PETER KIERNAN, TATUM’S FORMER MANAGER AND A PARTNER HIS PRODUCTN PANY, WHICH RELNCHED AS FREE ASSOCIATN AFTER TATUM & CO. CID MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO HAVE FUN THE BS PAST THE RIPE OLD AGE OF 33 AFTER ALL.STILL, THEY DIDN’T HAVE THIS DIENCE TOP OF MD WHEN THEY MA MAGIC MIKE XXL. AS THE FIRST MOVIE, THE ACTN CENTERS ON THE MALE CHARACTERS, SOMETHG THAT AS TIME WENT ON AND THE WORLD CHANGED, TATUM BEGAN TO HAVE MISGIVGS ABOUT. “REALLY, THE FIRST TWO MOVI ARE FEATHERED-FISH SORT OF MOVI, MY OPN,” HE SAYS NOW. “THEY’RE MOVI ABOUT MEN MA FOR WOMEN, OR PEOPLE THAT LIKE MEN, BUT NONE OF THEM HAD REALLY STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS. SO FELT LIKE WE SORT OF HOODWKED PEOPLE ON SOME LEVEL. LIKE WE CHEATED THE .”TATUM GREW UP AROUND STRONG WOMEN, HE POTS OUT. HE IS VERY CLOSE TO HIS MOTHER AND SISTER. BUT HE PPOTS HIS RECENT FEMIST AWAKENG TO THE BIRTH OF HIS DGHTER. “ONLY HAVG A DGHTER DID START TO REALLY SRE ME HOW SRY THE WORLD IS FOR WOMEN,” HE TELLS ME. “YOU N NCEIVE WHEN YOU LOVE SOMEONE THAT IS A GIRL, BUT DON’T LAND THE SAME WAY AS HAVG A TY FEMALE HUMAN THE WORLD THAT IS SO VULNERABLE AND LOOKG AT THE WORLD THROUGH ROSE-LORED GLASS.”HEARG THE REVELATNS OF THE NEWLY WOKE N BE AS IRRATG AS HEARG SOMEONE TALK ABOUT THEIR DREAMS, BUT TATUM ACROSS AS GENUE.“FOR WHATEVER REASON, HE IS TIMATELY AWARE OF HIS PRIVILEGE,” GAY TOLD ME AN EMAIL. “HE DON’T APOLOGIZE FOR , WHICH IS, ANKLY, REHG. LIKE, YOU’RE AN ABSURDLY ATTRACTIVE FAMO WEALTHY WHE MAN. PLEASE DON’T PRETEND THAT ISN’T GREAT. BUT HE TREATS PEOPLE WELL,” SHE ADD, NOTG THAT ON THEIR “FUN AND SEXY” ROMANCE-NOVEL PROJECT, TATUM WENT OUT OF HIS WAY TO ENSURE THEY WERE PAID EQUALLY.“TO BE CLEAR, THAT IS THE RIGHT THG TO DO,” GAY POTED OUT. “AND WE SHOULDN’T GIVE MEDALS TO PEOPLE FOR DOG THE RIGHT THG, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, MOST PEOPLE SIMPLY DON’T DO THE RIGHT THG AND IS NOTABLE WHEN HAPPENS.”NOTABLY, MAGIC MIKE’S LAST DANCE HAS A FEMALE LEAD THE FORM OF HAYEK PLT, WHO PLAYS MAXANDRA MENDOZA, A WEALTHY DIVORCéE WHO GETS HER GROOVE BACK BY REIMAGG A WORN-OUT WT END SHOW AS A MALE REVUE FOR THE THKG WOMAN. “I THK WE WANTED THAT SPECIFILLY BEE I FEEL SOME SORT OF MORE RPONSIBILY THAT THE OTHER MOVI WEREN’T ABOUT WOMEN, THEY WERE ABOUT MEN,” TATUM SAYS. “AND WE TRIED TO TROJAN-HORSE SOME REAL FEEL-GOOD, I DON’T WANT TO SAY WOMAN EMPOWERMENT, SELF-TROSPECTN STUFF THERE,” HE ADDS, ALTHOUGH THIS MIGHT NOT BE QUE THE RIGHT METAPHOR, SCE THE THEME IS PRETTY ONT AND CENTER.“WOULDN’T BE CHVISTIC TO HAVE A SHOW ABOUT WOMEN EMPOWERMENT THAT DON’T HAVE A FEMALE CHARACTER?” A CHARACTER CLAR AT SOME POT.LIKE, THE HORSE IS RIGHT THERE.SHIRT BY LORO PIANA.PHOTOGRAPH BY MAR SORRENTI; STYLED BY GEE CORTA.IF ANYTHG IS BEG SMUGGLED , MIGHT BE THE PLOT, WHICH WAS SPIRED BY THE CREATN OF MAGIC MIKE LIVE AND, LIKE THE MOVI, IS SEMI-TOBGRAPHIL:“IT BEGS WH MIKE, AT 40, BASILLY BEG LIKE, ‘ALL RIGHT, I DID THE WHOLE TAKG MYSELF SERLY THG, I STARTED A PANY THAT ULTIMATELY I BUILT UP THIS GREAT WAY, THIS WAY THAT I ALWAYS DREAMED OF,’ ” TATUM SAYS. “ ‘BUT STILL DIDN’T FULFILL ME. IT WASN’T THE THG I THOUGHT THAT WAS GOG TO MAKE ME WHOLE, OR MAKE ME HAVE SELF-RPECT OR WORTH OR WHATEVER.’ AND THEN THIS OPPORTUNY THROUGH THAT A WAY BRGS HIM BACK TO THE THG THAT HE STARTED AS.” ALTHOUGH ’S UNLIKELY THAT ANYONE WILL NOTICE, GIVEN THE AFOREMENTNED DRY-HUMPG SCENE.“I DON’T KNOW IF I’M EVER GOG TO GET MARRIED AGA,” SAYS TATUM, WHO SUGGTS WE GET A FOOT MASSAGE AFTER OUR POTTERY LSON. THERE’S A PLACE NEARBY, ONE HE’S BEEN GOG TO SCE HE STARTED SPENDG MORE TIME NEW YORK WH KRAVZ. TATUM IS, HE ADMS, A SERIAL MONOGAMIST. AFTER HE AND HIS WIFE SEPARATED, HE DATED THE SGER JSIE J ON AND OFF FOR NEARLY TWO YEARS.HE FIRST MET KRAVZ AFTER READG AN EARLY DRAFT OF PSY ISLAND, WHICH SHE AND HER WRER HAD BEEN SPIRED TO WRE AFTER READG STORI ABOUT POWERFUL MEN TAKG ADVANTAGE OF WOMEN. SHE HAD HIM MD FOR THE ISLAND’S OWNER, A SISTER TECH BILLNAIRE FAR REMOVED OM THE AFFABLE, FUN-LOVG TYP HE UALLY PLAYS. “I THOUGHT WAS SUPER PUNK ROCK,” TATUM RELLS. “SHE HAD PASSN THERE, AND SHE HAD A POT OF VIEW THAT WAS REALLY SPECIFIC TO WHO SHE WAS AND WHAT HER EXPERIENCE WAS. BUT I WASN’T SURE WAS CLEAR YET, WHAT WANTED TO BE.” THEY AGREED TO KEEP TALKG. “LERALLY, AFTER THAT MEETG, MY LIFE WENT HOW DID AND WE LOST TOUCH,” HE SAYS. “THEN, CUT TO TWO AND A HALF YEARS LATER, THEY HAD A NEW DRAFT, AND WAS GREAT. I WAS LIKE, ‘WOW. YOU ARE REALLY SAYG SOMETHG,’ ” HE GO ON. “THAT’S THE KD OF PERSON YOU WANT TO CREATE WH. THAT REALLY HAS THIS PERSPECTIVE THEY’RE NSTANTLY DIGGG FOR.”TATUM’S PANY IS ALSO HELPG TO PRODUCE THE FILM, WHICH KRAVZ DIRECTED. “WEIRDLY, WAS FORTABLE,” HE SAYS, ADDG THAT WORK, LIKE PLANTG HIS FACE A WOMAN’S LAP, IS ALSO HIS FORT ZONE.“RELATNSHIPS ARE HARD FOR ME,” TATUM SAYS, UNFURLG HIS SOCKS. “EVEN THOUGH I AM A B OF A MONOGAMIST. IN BS, I HAVE NO REAL FEAR OF ANYTHG BEG STROYED. BUT HEART THGS, WHEN TO PEOPLE I LOVE, I HAVE A REALLY HARD TIME. I END UP TRYG TOO HARD, YOU KNOW?”IN OTHER WORDS, AS THE TER OBSERVED AFTER TATUM WAS DISVERED TO BE FOLLOWG A NUMBER OF KRAVZ’S FAN ACUNTS ON INSTAGRAM: “I HAVE NO CHILL.” IT WAS NOCENT, HE SWEARS. “I WAS JT SEEG WHAT SHE WAS UP TO! ALSO, I DIDN’T KNOW ANYONE WOULD KNOW.”BUT THE DAYS HE’S TRYG TO HAVE MORE CHILL GENERAL. “SO I N ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE THE MOMENTS, STEAD OF JT TRYG TO CHANGE OR SOMETHG,” HE SAYS. “OR BEG AAID THAT ’S NOT GOG TO WORK OUT HOW I WANTED OR SOMETHG.”VTAGE JACKET AND SHIRT OM STOCK VTAGE; VTAGE PANTS AND APRON OM MELET MERNTILE. PHOTOGRAPH BY MAR SORRENTI; STYLED BY GEE CORTA.“YOU KNOW WHEN THGS ARE KD OF JT WORKG, YOU DON’T WANT TO TOUCH ? LIKE POTTERY,” HE ADDS. “LIKE POTTERY. IF I KEEP PRSG ON , ’S GOG TO BUCK ME OFF. AND YOU’RE JT LIKE, ‘OOH. MAYBE I SHOULD STOP.’”HE NSIRS. “I THK LIFE—”“SHHH.” THE GUY MASSAGG TATUM’S FEET HH HIM. SOMEONE BEHD A SCREEN IS GETTG A FULL-BODY MASSAGE, AND HE DON’T WANT TO TERPT THEIR ZEN WH OUR CHATTER.“THIS IS HILAR,” TATUM WHISPERS.AFTERWARD, TATUM OFFERS TO WALK ME TO THE SUBWAY SO HE N FISH HIS THOUGHT. “I THK LIFE HAS A REALLY FUN WAY TO GIVE YOU EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED WHEN YOU NEED ,” HE SAYS. “NOT MEANG GIFTS, OR ANYTHG LIKE THAT. BUT WHAT YOU NEED TO LEARN.”EARLY ON HIS SEPARATN, HE SAYS, WHEN THGS WERE STILL REALLY RAW AND PAFUL, REID CAROL TOLD HIM ABOUT A PROFSOR OF PARATIVE RELIGN WHO SAYS THAT THE BT WISDOM OM PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST “TWO WORLDS.” “MEANG LIKE EXPERIENC, TWO KD OF LIFE-ATHS WHERE EVERYTHG CHANG,” TATUM EXPLAS.“EVERYTHG THAT YOU THOUGHT WAS JT ALL OF A SUDN A BLK OF AN EYE, YOU LOSE A CHILD OR YOU, YEAH, GET A DIVORCE, YOUR LIFE FALLS APART. YOU KNOW? WHERE YOUR WORLD AS YOU KNOW PLETELY JT EVAPORAT ONT OF YOUR FACE FOREVER. SO HE’S SAYG WISDOM ONLY OM PEOPLE WHO HAVE REALLY HAD A LIFE AND EXPERIENCED THE SPECTM OF LIFE, AND ALL THE PEAKS AND THE VALLEYS, IF YOU WILL. AND REID’S LIKE, ‘SO YOU’RE HALFWAY THERE, CHAMP.’ ”I WAS LIKE, “ALL RIGHT. YEAH, THAT’S A GOOD WAY TO SP .”GROOMG, JAMIE TAYLOR; TAILOR, YASME EZELI; SET SIGN, PHILIPP HAEMMERLE. FOR TAILS, GO TO MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, INHERG GRACELAND, AND MORETE CRIME, TE FAH: THE SERIAL KILLER AND THE TEXAS MOM WHO STOPPED HIMTHE TAN SUBMERSIBLE DISASTER WAS YEARS THE MAKG, NEW DETAILS REVEALWHY THE GEIA INDICTMENT AGAST TMP AND HIS ALLI IS THE MOST SWEEPG YETIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERA NEW SLIM AARONS BOOK CAPTUR A LOST WORLDTHE 25 BT SHOWS ON NETFLIX TO WATCH RIGHT NOWFROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)JSI PRSLER

Now that we know a third movie, Magic Mike's Last Dance, will be g soon, we've got some ias for queer and gay actors we'd love to see jo the st!

RELATED | A Romantic Gay Drama Is Head to Theaters Time for Valente's Day. Straight women and gay men packed theatr"When we went to make the movie, we were makg Boogie Nights or Saturday Night Fever; we didn't really unrstand that we were makg a movie for women, " said Reid Carol, screenwrer of the Magic Mike trilogy, Tatum's producg partner and his -director on Dog (2022), to The Rger last year. Straight women and gay men packed theatr.

The distributor promoted the release at gay pri events around the US and hired dited agenci to target and build buzz gay bars and clubs. The succs of Tatum's picture books has given him a taste of publishg and he's ready to take to the next level by workg on a romance novel alongsi (former Glamour ntributor) Roxane Gay.