The result is arguably one of the worst non-cameo performances of Tatum's career, as Duke has no real depth or substance beyond looking like Channing Tatum. When Paramount told Tatum he was required to be in the movie, he expressed his interest in playing Snake Eyes, but the studio cast him as Duke, the bland face of the franchise, instead. And it's not hard to figure out why Tatum feels this way, as the entire thing feels like a shameless, cynical attempt to cash in on nostalgia. "I fucking hate that movie," he told Stern. Don't believe me? Well, maybe Channing Tatum can convince you, as The Rise of Cobra star explained to Howard Stern that he only did the movie because of a contractual obligation.
#CHANNING TATUM GIMP HOW TO#
The real turning point was when people finally learned how to use his himbo persona in movies rather than just slot him in as a generic lead. Early on in his career, studios lazily cast him as the star in a slew of bland action flicks and romantic dramas, which resulted in him delivering competent but forgettable performances. With the benefit of hindsight, it seems obvious that Tatum would eventually become one of our biggest movie stars, but it actually took Hollywood a while to figure him out. No star captures that spirit quite like Tatum.
For this reason, himbos can often be perceived as dumb, when really it's more of a naiveté at work.
Unlocking the secret to a star's ascent is usually complicated and sometimes downright unknowable, but in the case of Channing Tatum, the secret is pretty easy to locate: He represents the platonic ideal of the himbo.įor the uninitiated, this portmanteau (him + bimbo) is generally used to refer to a classically handsome man who, instead of weaponizing his good looks, maintains a simple kindheartedness and is blissfully unaware of the neurosis that curses the rest of us. Kathy Hoang / BuzzFeed, Everett Collection: Universal, Kimberley French / Paramount Pictures, Scott Garfield / Sony Pictures Classics, Scott Garfield / Screen Gems, United Artists