Channing Tatum regrets turning down the chance to work with filmmaker Guillermo del Toro on his version of Beauty and the Beast.
Channing Tatum says rejecting Beauty and the Beast role was “one of the biggest mistakes of [his] career”.
The 45-year-old actor was to play 60-year-old filmmaker Guillermo del Toro’s version “of the Beast”, but he rejected the idea because he had just welcomed his daughter Everly, now 12, who was born in 2013, with his ex-wife, 44-year-old actress Jenna Dewan, and he was busy working on another movie.
Tatum told Vanity Fair: “One of the biggest mistakes of my career – Guillermo del Toro wanted to do Beauty and the Beast, his version of the Beast.
“And I’d just had a baby, I was on a movie that was absolutely killing me, and the script wasn’t totally there yet. I was just in a place in my head that I was like, ‘I don’t think I can do this right now.’
“It was the biggest mistake, because I’m the biggest Guillermo fan ever.
“And I think Guillermo doing Beauty and the Beast would’ve been the sickest movie ever.”
The film star – who did not reveal which film was “absolutely killing me” – said del Toro never made his version of Beauty and the Beast.
Tatum’s Roofman co-star Kirsten Dunst, 43, asked him in the Vanity Fair interview: “And he never did it?”
The actor replied: “He didn’t do it.
“He’s got a billion other things that he wants to do. He’s such a creator. I’ll probably never forgive myself on that one, but I hope we get to work together one day.
“Like Derek and I did. I think Blue Valentine time was always supposed to be Ryan [Gosling]’s.
“At that point in my life, it was such a sad story, and I had not had a sad relationship like that. I just don’t think I could have done it.”
Roofman sees Tatum play real-life convict Jeffrey Manchester – who is currently serving a 40-year prison sentence after robbing 45 branches of McDonald’s.
He evaded capture by police by hiding in the wall of a Toys “R” Us store, which is where Tatum’s alter ego meets Dunst’s character Leigh Wainscott – a Toys-R-Us employee, single mother, and Jeffrey’s love interest.
The Magic Mike actor – who has always been “obsessed” with the actress’ career – felt “intimidated” when they were cast in crime-drama film, and Tatum was desperate for Dunst to like him.
Explaining his favourite of his co-star’s work is her 1994 movie Interview with the Vampire, Channing told People magazine: “I couldn’t imagine doing what she did in that film at the age.
“Everything she’s ever done, I’ve been obsessed with.
“I was so intimidated to work with her — and when I say intimidated, I was afraid. I just wanted her to like me.
“I was like, ‘Please like me!'”
Channing Tatum says rejecting Beauty and the Beast role was ‘one of the biggest mistakes’ of his career
