Channing Tatum’s Body Transformation Might Be His Most Powerful Yet

Channing Tatum has always been known for staying in great shape, especially in roles where his physique took center stage — like Step Up and Magic Mike. However, the actor has never shied away from gaining or losing weight for a part, even when it meant pushing his body to the limit. Now, he’s sharing the results of his latest dramatic transformation.

Tatum gained up to 235 pounds for Josephine.

While the transformations show just how committed he is, they also reveal how tough it is—both physically and mentally—to pull off such major changes.

To get into character for Josephine, Tatum increased his weight to 235 pounds. It was a big transformation—and a clear sign of how far he’ll go to fully become the roles he plays.

He later reduced his weight to 172 pounds for Roofman.

Tatum then faced the challenge of losing weight for Roofman, a biopic based on a real-life criminal case. He had to shed significant weight to portray Jeffrey Manchester, a fugitive known for bizarre robberies and clever escapes.

Tatum once again proved his dedication to physically transforming for the role, successfully getting the job done.

Undergoing such extreme weight changes can have significant impacts on an actor’s health. Tatum acknowledged the difficulties, stating that gaining and losing weight has become increasingly challenging with age.

Now

In a recent post, Tatum shared a series of photos showing his body from past roles all the way to his current look. Along with the pics, he wrote, “I’m so grateful for my genetics. Grateful for my chef/nutritionist/witch. Grateful for my trainer. I couldn’t make these big swings in my weight without you, guys.”

Looking back on how tough these transformations have been, Tatum has decided to step away from roles that demand these intense physical changes, “It’s too hard on the body and too hard to take off now. But when I look at these pics, it’s just wild what the human body and will can do.”

Reaction

People admired the actor’s physique and the hard work behind it. One person wrote, “Looking good! It much harder to loose the weight than gaining it...I feel for you.” Another left a comment, “I zoomed in so hard my phone asked if I was okay”

Others, however, thought that Tatum actually looked good with a few extra pounds and that going through such transformations puts a lot of stress on the body. One wrote, “Good on him, love! But let’s be real — who needs to be ’Magic Mike’ when you can just be yourself and enjoy a proper pie now and then?” Another one noted, “Six packs are massively over rated. He looked better with more weight on.” Another commenter agreed, “Am I reading these captions correctly that he had to lose 60lbs in 6 months for a role? Nobody should be having to do that to their body!”

In 2012, Channing Tatum was named the Sexiest Man Alive. Take a look at how he — and other title-holding heartthrobs — have changed over the years.