Man Candy Mondays: Channing Tatum

From dance-focused flicks to rough-and-tumble action movies, Channing Tatum‘s movie career has spanned several different genres, but one thing remains the same: The boy is smokin’ hot. And we thank our lucky stars that he goes shirtless in most of his films, whether he’s beating up bad guys in G.I. Joe or tugging at our heartstrings in Dear John.

Channing Tatum

Born: April 26, 1980

Hometown: Cullman, Alabama

Height: 6’1″

Why we love him

If a movie hero were to write us a love letter and then surprise us by showing up at our door wearing a military uniform, we hope that it would be Channing Tatum, the perfect combination of tough guy and hopeless romantic.

He has a fiery-hot past

Before he got paid millions to show off his sexy bod, he used to dance as a stripper in an all-male revue called Male Encounter. Now that’s one show we would like to have seen in person — but we can get as close as possible with this old footage!

As for those business types close to Tatum who would rather not have him admit to shaking his groove thang in a thong? “I don’t care what they think,” he told Details. “I’m happy I did it. I’m not proud, because it’s not something to be proud of, but I had an experience that only one out of a thousand — a million — people can say they’ve ever had. I’ve been through this crazy sort of life, and I came out the other side fairly unscathed.”

We like how he turned out, that’s for sure!

He does his own stunts

You know those crazy backflips in Step Up? All Channing. He told GQ: “You know when someone is so nervous about something, it makes you doubt yourself? Like on Step Up, I was going to do this back?ip off the car. That’s something I do, like, all the time. I just do back?ips off things. By the time it was time to do it, I was, like, shaking, because everyone was all, ‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ But then I did it, and it was ?ne.”

Or, ummm… much more than fine, from our perspective!

But Chan has a whole lot more going for him than his face (and sexy abs): He received critical acclaim for his performance as a streetwise boy from Queens in A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, including a Best Supporting Actor nomination from the Independent Spirit Awards.

He’s a small-town kind of guy

Chan isn’t a huge fan of the club culture in L.A. — especially when he could be shaking his groove thang down in Tampa, Florida, where he spent his teen years:

“L.A. sucks for going out,” he told Details. “Everything here is a ‘lounge.’ Everyone just sits around at a table, drinking a cocktail, looking at each other. There are no dance clubs. Back in Florida, I’m gonna go into a club, get drunk, get sweaty, dance, have a good time, and get a taxi home. There’s no place here that does dancing like that. I miss it, man. I miss it.”

We’ll challenge you to a dance-off anytime, Chan!

More Channing Tatum news >>

Channing Tatum’s relationship status:

This hottie has been married to his equally good-looking wife, Jenna Dewan (Take the Lead, The Playboy Club), whom he met on the set of Step Up, since July 2009. The two created a production company, 33andOut, together — and they recently starred alongside each other in in this year’s high school reunion film, Ten Year. Cutest co-stars ever!

What’s next:

Check out Channing Tatum try to win back the heart of his wife, played by Rachel McAdams, who lost her memory after a horrfying car accident in The Vow, on DVD May 8. And up next on the big screen: Magic Mike, an almost true-to-life story of a male dancer. Sign us up!

Man Candy Mondays: Channing Tatum