Channing Tatum Loses 70 Pounds for Role in Roofman

LOS ANGELES, CA — Channing Tatum revealed he unexpectedly lost nearly 70 pounds while preparing for his role in the upcoming movie Roofman. The 45-year-old actor’s significant weight loss surprised even the film crew, who expressed concern for his well-being.

In an interview published on September 2, Tatum explained that he needed to slim down to portray Jeffrey Manchester, a real-life criminal known for living in the walls of a Toys R Us. Tatum said he had previously bulked up for another role, reaching 240 pounds. His initial goal was to drop to 185 pounds, but during filming, he went as low as 172 pounds.

“I had just done a role earlier that year,” Tatum noted. “I only planned to get down to 185. Once I was already going [with] the days of shooting, it kept coming off.”

The film’s director, Derek Cianfrance, shared that the assistant director, Mariela Comitini, was alarmed by Tatum’s drastic weight loss. “She was like, ‘Get him a steak right now,’” Tatum recounted, adding, “I was like, ‘I think you’re right. This is weird.’”

Tatum’s transformation was not just physical, as he admitted feeling emptiness during the process. “It was sort of an emptiness and a sadness to it,” he said. “That empty feeling sucks after a while.”

In Roofman, which releases in theaters on October 10, Tatum plays Manchester, who famously escaped from prison in 2004 after robbing various McDonald’s to support his daughter. Manchester hid in a Toys R Us in Charlotte, North Carolina, for several months.

<p“After escaping prison, he secretly lives inside a Toys R Us for six months, surviving undetected while planning his next move,” the film synopsis explains. Tatum added that his character’s experiences reflect themes of loneliness and a desire to fill an emotional void.

Tatum acknowledged his struggles with weight fluctuations in a March social media post, where he shared before-and-after photos. He expressed gratitude for his support team, including his chef and trainer, stating, “I’m so grateful for my genetics. But I won’t be doing any more fat roles. It’s too hard on the body and too hard to take off now.”

Manchester is currently serving time in North Carolina’s Central Prison and is set for release in 2036. As for Tatum, he continues to focus on his health and body, saying, “It’s just wild what the human body and will can do.”