September 4, 2025, 1:52 pm | Read time: 4 minutes

“I had just reached 242 pounds and wanted to get back down. The goal was 185 pounds. But once I started and the shooting days added up, it just kept dropping. I ended up at about 172 pounds,” Channing Tatum revealed in an interview with “Variety,” admitting he somehow couldn’t stop losing weight! This took such a physical toll that those around him could hardly bear to watch. The film crew of “Roofman” was very worried. “Give him a steak,” was constantly heard on set, according to Tatum. “I looked down at myself and thought: Yeah, this is really crazy.”

“A Great Emptiness”

Losing weight was Channing Tatum’s own idea. He believed he could only portray his role in “Roofman” credibly if he slimmed down. Understandably so, as he plays the criminal Jeffrey Allen Manchester, known as the “Rooftop Robber” or “Roofman,” who broke into McDonald’s and Toys-R-Us stores via rooftops and even hid in the latter for months.

When the actor now recalls the filming and sees footage from that time, one thing comes to mind: “There was a great emptiness and sadness, a big search for something to fill you. Yes, when I see myself, I mostly see emptiness.”

Yes to Losing Weight–But Differently Than Before

Already in spring 2025, Channing Tatum’s noticeable weight gains and losses for roles were a topic. He himself stated in an Instagram post: “I will no longer take ‘fat roles.'” His reasoning: “It’s too hard on the body and too difficult to lose the weight again.”

At least the actor seems to have learned to lose weight in a healthier way—perhaps forced by the fact that his body finds it harder to shed pounds as he ages. In a conversation with “Variety,” he now shared: “I used to lose 30 pounds (about 14 kilograms; editor’s note) in three weeks. I just starved—the model diet.” Today, he no longer relies on crash diets for this challenge, as he emphasized: “I have a great nutritionist who helped me finally eat vegetables. I actually don’t like vegetables. It’s a texture thing.”

More on the topic

Frequent Weight Gain and Loss for Films Hollywood Star Channing Tatum: “I Won’t Be Taking on Any More ‘Fat Roles'”

24 Kilos for Film “I Was Just Lying Around!” Orlando Bloom’s Dramatic Weight Loss

Unhealthy Transformation for “Magic Mike”

In the past, Channing Tatum also transformed his body for roles, losing countless pounds of body fat and toning his muscles—especially for the “Magic Mike” film series. For this, the actor trained diligently for months, starved when necessary, and now openly admits how unhealthy this behavior was.

On the U.S. TV show “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” Tatum explained years ago: “Even if you train, it’s not natural to be in such shape. I don’t think it’s healthy to have such a fat-free body. I don’t know how people who work all day actually stay in shape because it’s my full-time job, and even I barely manage.”

Is Frequent Weight Gain and Loss Risky?

When it comes to gaining and losing weight, it initially doesn’t seem to be proven harmful. At least that’s the assessment of nutritionist and diabetologist Matthias Riedl when FITBOOK asked him about it in 2021. The occasion was the extreme weight fluctuation of Mark Wahlberg. “The change from gaining to losing weight itself is not problematic. There are at least no studies proving that the ups and downs of weight are an isolated risk factor for poorer health. We know that humans have always had such times. That means there was plenty to eat at times, and then the supply was a bit leaner. It’s even good if we occasionally bring reserves down to zero. The body needs that,” said the expert.

Probably more unhealthy are the strategies Hollywood stars use to reach a target weight as quickly as possible. This starts with extreme fitness loads with injury risks, continues with crash diets, and ends with medication (such as diuretics) or hormonal assistance.