Channing Tatum Reveals Crew Grew Concerned Over His Extreme Weight Loss For His Latest Movie

Channing Tatum has spoken up after reports claimed the crew on his new movie were worried about his extreme weight loss. The actor said that the story had been exaggerated and that there was never any real concern about his health.

Tatum shed around five stone for his role in Roofman, a new movie based on the true story of Jeffrey Manchester, a former soldier who became known for robbing McDonald’s restaurants by cutting holes in their roofs.

Manchester was caught in 1999 and sentenced to 45 years in prison, but he later escaped by hiding under a truck and went on the run. He ended up living secretly inside a Toys “R” Us store, surviving on M&M’s and baby food for months.

How far would you go to change who you are? #Roofman is coming only to theatres October 10. pic.twitter.com/xmpnsIuIcK

— Roofman (@RoofmanMovie) June 25, 2025

To play the wiry and agile criminal, Tatum had to completely change his body. He told LADbible that he had just finished another film where he played a heavier character and had a “dad bod,” so the transformation for Roofman was huge.

The actor explained that his drastic weight change was not as dangerous as people thought. “It was Mary Ellis, our first AD, she’s a mamma,” Tatum said. “And she was just like, ‘You did it, you don’t need to lose any more weight.’”

He also said he didn’t go through any crash diets or unsafe methods. “And by the way, I was probably healthier than I’d been in a long time,” he said. “But the only big swing of the whole thing was, I did a movie right before that where I was like a dad bod, that I was 240 [lbs]. I put on weight really fast and really easy. And I do take it off pretty easy, it’s a good thing and a bad thing.”

Director Derek Cianfrance, who also wrote the film, had previously said that the assistant director once suggested getting Tatum “a steak” because of how much weight he’d lost. But Tatum made it clear that she was just being caring, not alarmed. “Ultimately, there was no real concern. It was just like, ‘All right, cool, we’re good. You’re exactly where you need to be,’” he said.

The film includes a nude scene showing Tatum’s lean physique, which he said came down to simple habits. “Once you start a certain thing and as long as you don’t deviate from the plan, it’ll happen,” he said, describing his approach as one of “repetition and consistency.”

Cianfrance has praised Tatum’s dedication to the role, saying he was “born to play” Manchester and even wrote the script with him in mind.

Tatum said he spent over two months speaking with the real Jeffrey Manchester while preparing for the film. “I talked to this guy [Manchester] for almost two and a half months every day,” he said. “You talk about a lot of things, I wanted it to be a two-way street. I was like, ‘I don’t want to just grill you about your life.’ And he asked me so many things about my life.”

Tatum described Manchester as “an eternal optimist” and said many people involved in the real story remembered him as “the most apologetic person.”

Manchester is set to be released from prison in 2036. The upcoming film has already sparked debate, with some people feeling it makes him look like a hero, while others believe it still shows him as the criminal he was.

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