After all of the buzz revolving around The Hateful Eight, it came to light slightly later that Channing Tatum also has a role in the film. While Tatum certainly has pop culture status, it might seem surprising that Quentin Tarantino would put the Magic Mike star in his eighth feature film. Well, it turns out that Tatum really fought for the role of Jody. On a recent appearance on The Tonight Show Jimmy Fallon Tatum recounted his valiant efforts to be cast:
I basically sent about an email a day for about a month just threatening any other actors that might be up for the role. I was just praying that no one really tough was up for the role.
Well I guess subtlety isn’t Channing Tatum’s strongest suit. Tatum took quite the bold strategy to book the job by essentially harassing Quentin Tarantino over the course of a month. While this approach surely wouldn’t work for an unknown actor, I’m sure that Tarantino appreciated the courage and tenacity it took to grovel for a month long.
Quentin Tarantino has previously stated that he didn’t want a few star names for The Hateful Eight, but rather an ensemble of similar star power and respect. This may mean that Tarantino either puts Channing Tatum on the same level as his ensemble of actors, or made an exception for Tatum after how aggressively he fought for the role.
Regardless, Tatum clearly did something right, and he managed to get the role, which had previously been read by Dexter actor James Remar. This seems like quite the departure, as there are decades separating the two actors, and they’re not exactly the same physical type.
Later in his segment on Jimmy Fallon, Channing Tatum recounted how nervous he was to begin the rehearsal and filming process for The Hateful Eight. Walking into a room full of film legends, the action/ stripease star surely felt out of place. His nerves apparently had a physical manifestation when reading a scene that called for Tatum to shake the hand of film legend Bruce Dern.
I made this really dumb, overzealous decision and I pull him in really close, and this is at a table read, and I almost pull Bruce Dern out of his chair and he's like, 'You jerk! You almost pulled my arm out of the socket!
While laughing off the moment with Jimmy Fallon, Tatum assured him that they managed to move past that ridiculous first moment, and that he has since been accepted as part of the Tarantino alumni family.
All nerves and possible harassment aside, it seems like Channing Tatum seems to really be taking his career into his own hands. Discontent with making the films he has in the past, Tatum is clearly blazing a bright future for himself- especially if he continues to work with visionary directors like Quentin Tarantino.
Check out the segment with Tatum on Jimmy Fallon for a few laughs. The Hateful Eight is being released on Christmas Day.
