Channing Tatum Says He's A Better Stripper Than Magic Mike Co-Star Joe Manganiello
Actor Joe Manganiello is many things. He's a chiseled hunk of man-flesh with a gorgeous smile, a "Dungeons & Dragons" dungeon master, and a hilarious nerd, but according to his "Magic Mike" and "Magic Mike XXL" co-star Channing Tatum, he's not as good a stripper as Tatum himself. In a Vanity Fair lie detector test interview, the "Magic Mike's Last Dance" star was forced to reveal his true feelings on who was the better stripper: himself or the fiercely funny Manganiello. The answer isn't a huge surprise to fans of the male stripper trilogy, as Tatum does all kinds of impressive dance moves and was actually a stripper in real life. Regardless of how you feel about watching men take their clothes off and grind on furniture, you have to see the skill in performances like Tatum's "Pony" workshop dance in "Magic Mike XXL." I can't hear Ginuwine without immediately thinking of Tatum launching himself around that workshop like a bulked-up ballerina, whereas Manganiello's contributions to the franchise have less to do with his dancing and more to do with his, uh, other talents.
Tatum did have some nice things to say about his co-star, of course, but he was absolutely certain about his dance skills. Just how certain? "One hundred percent." Fans can check out Tatum's dance skills in "Magic Mike's Last Dance" on Valentine's Day weekend 2023.
Playing to their strengths
When the interviewer asked Channing Tatum, who was hooked up to a polygraph machine, if he thought he was a better stripper than Joe Manganiello, the actor was brutally honest:
"One hundred percent. We're different. We're different classes of strippers. When you look in the dictionary next to 'the perfect specimen of a man,' probably Joe Manganiello is one of the bodies that pops up because he's just, he's kind of weirdly flawless. But as far as stripping goes, I would put myself above him dance-wise."
Tatum's not wrong, really, as most of Manganiello's dance moves are of the "hip-shaking" and "tummy-rolling" kind, not the near-breakdance levels of choreography that Tatum pulls off without breaking a sweat. Manganiello is more than just a perfect body, though (even if that body is truly perfection). Like Tatum, he also eschews toxic masculine nonsense in favor of just being a real one, and his dance for a sad convenience store clerk in "Magic Mike XXL" is the stuff of legend. (Seriously, if you can watch it and not smile, you are probably dead inside.)
The best thing about Tatum, Manganiello, and the rest of the "Magic Mike" guys is that they have no problem giving one another compliments and their friendship seems genuine. The first film is a stirring drama, the second is the best road-trip buddy comedy ever made, and hopefully the third will make Mike's musical dreams come true. God bless "Magic Mike."
"Magic Mike's Last Dance" opens in theaters on February 10, 2023.