Channing Tatum was born in a small town, Cullman, Alabama, 50 miles north of Birmingham. He is the son of Kay (Faust), an airline worker, and Glenn Matthew Tatum, who worked in construction. Growing up, he was full of energy and somewhat troublesome, so his parents decided to enroll him in different sports such as track and field, baseball, soccer, and football to keep him out of trouble. In the ninth grade he was sent to Catholic school. It was there that he discovered his passion for football and his hopes became centered on earning an athletic college scholarship. Channing's goal was finally met, and in his senior year in high school, he was recruited and earned a full athletic college scholarship to a school in West Virginia.

Jenna Dewan Tatum (11 July 2009 - present) (1 child)

Has modeled for Abercrombie & Fitch, Dolce & Gabbana and Aeropostale. In 2002, he starred in commercials for both Mountain Dew ("Drive") and Pepsi ("Scratching").
His first fashion show was at Level Nightclub in South Beach, Miami (November 2000) for Men's Health magazine. His friend Vincent De Paul asked him to do the show with him. After the fashion show, he began booking editorials for Ocean Drive magazine and his modeling career began.
His family has lived in the American South for many generations, at least since the 1700s. He has English, some Irish and Scots-Irish (Northern Irish), and distant Scottish, German, Welsh, and French ancestry. Channing has sometimes been said to have some degree of Native American roots, although these claims appear to be unverified; all of Channing's grandparents, great-grandparents, and great-great-grandparents were listed as "White" on United States Censuses.

(2009, on his career) I got crazy lucky. Like sometimes, I think I won the lottery or something. At times, it feels like the bottom's gonna fall out. Just 'cause I don't really know how I got here. But I just keep moving forward, and it just keeps getting better and better.
[on Haywire (2011)] My wife always hates when I go, "I just don't love female action movies." I don't know why. I'll watch them, but I don't run to go and see them. I'd say, "Find a girl that can, pardon my French, whup my ass, and I will go to the movie." And they did! They went and found [MMA champion Gina Carano] and she did! And it was awesome. I truly loved it.