In "Step Up" he showed off his athleticism and smooth-as-silk dance moves, but actor Channing Tatum is about to march into theaters Friday as a tough-as-nails soldier in "Stop-Loss." It's a story about soldiers due to be discharged after their tour in Iraq is over, but the military's stop-loss policy changes everything. The film stars Ryan Phillippe, Abbie Cornish and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Tatum, a 28-year-old former model from Florida, will be staying in uniform a little longer, so to speak, while he films the fantasy action movie "G.I. Joe." He talks about falling in love with acting, his mom and keeping out of the paparazzi's cross hairs.

---

PG audio

Listen to audio of this interview.

---

Q: Did you have any desire to join the military after 9/11?

A: You know, I think it is something that runs through every young healthy male at the time. Obviously I didn't, but you want to. That's why I think, I was really humbled by the people that did [join]. My papa [his grandfather] was in the army. I never really knew that because it wasn't something we talked about. He passed and I didn't get to know him that well because he lost his ability to speak.

Q: Is Channing a family name?

A: No, not at all. It's weird, I've asked my parents a ton of times, but, you know, they just said they liked the name. I didn't even know it was my name until I was about 8. They just called me Chan.

Q: You are very athletic and had a football scholarship, so why do you think you gravitated to acting?

A: I don't know. I went and played a year of football in college and it just wasn't what I wanted. I played about 10 years of football in all in my life, and I just needed something new. I came home, I came back to Florida, and I did everything from banging nails in the sun for a while and working at a puppy/kitty nursery.

Q: So it wasn't the thing you had a burning desire to do.

A: No, never. It wasn't an option, kind of like joining the military wasn't an option. I didn't know about it. Someone saw me on the street for modeling, and I kind of got into that, and it took me all around the world. I got a Pepsi commercial and took an acting workshop after the commercial. I just literally fell in love. It's that cliche thing. I found my calling or my calling found me sort of thing. I don't do anything other than act now. You know, I live, breathe and die for it.

Q: You are filming "G.I. Joe." Is it fun?

A: I wouldn't say it's fun, you know, G.I. Joe is totally different than "Stop-Loss." "Stop-Loss" was a real departure for me. I think it was a selfish reason at first to explore a childhood fantasy. I really wanted to play a soldier and do it well for them. "G.I. Joe" is a comic book. I originally passed on the project, because ... in time of war, I was just like, "No, it's not going to happen." Then I read the script. I realized it has nothing to do with war at all. It's "X-Men," "Star Wars," "Mission Impossible." It's truly a comic book. It has no political anything.

Q: Do you think you would have been that kind of soldier?

A: You'd like to think that. I hope that I would have been a good soldier. If we had a draft today, I would definitely go. I would have no issue with it whatsoever.

Q: When you went into modeling, then acting, were you attracted to the fame or the money?

A: It really was neither. You don't really become famous becoming a model.

Q: Male models especially.

A: Yeah, it's one of the only jobs that you can have where women make time and a half more than men. I'm not complaining because statistically women get the short end of the stick, you know, when it comes to getting paid. I was always looking for figuring the rest of my life out. It kind of popped. The bug got in me, and I'm screwed now [laughs].

Q: You've been in a relationship for several years now. As you get more well known is it harder to keep things private?

A: At the moment, no. Like Ryan [Phillippe] is constantly hounded, and I feel for him, you know? He just wants to do something with his kids, and he can't be left alone. It's kind of a fear of mine. I love my anonymity and my privacy. It is hard when you think of what could happen. I try to keep my nose pretty clean. I don't go out that much. I'm not really going out and getting in trouble, so hopefully it never really will come into my private life. It's just a byproduct of what we do.

Q: Which one of your parents do you take after more?

A: Probably my mom. I'm totally a mama's boy, to be blunt [laughing]. My mom's like, "I love everybody." She's a big old country girl. She's just a big old bleeding heart. I wouldn't say I'm a bleeding heart, but I just like to be happy, and I love everybody around me.