Channing Tatum opens up about overcoming imposter syndrome while portraying a real-life criminal in the Toronto International Film Festival hit Roofman. The film blends humor and humanity as it explores the unusual life of Jeffrey Manchester.
Channing Tatum says his performance in Roofman, which tells the true story of a man who robbed dozens of McDonald's and hid out in a toy store, helped the stripper-turned-actor overcome "imposter syndrome."
"I was getting (acting) jobs before I knew anything about what I was doing," Tatum told reporters Sunday, a day after the film's world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
"I think I've struggled with imposter syndrome," added the 45-year-old actor, who worked as a stripper before being hired for fashion modeling, which ultimately led to acting.
"For the very first time, maybe even on this movie, I feel like I've actually earned my seat at the table," Tatum said.
Roofman recounts the life of Jeffrey Manchester, who served in the US Army but struggled when he returned to civilian life in North Carolina, including financially. He robbed dozens of fast-food stores throughout the 1990s, mainly McDonald's, entering the restaurants through the roof.
The film highlights one of Manchester's repeated gestures of kindness—ensuring restaurant staff were wearing coats before he locked them in the cold storage.
Manchester was arrested and sentenced to decades in prison but broke out in 2004. The film centers on the months that followed the prison break, before his rearrest in 2005.
Manchester built a secret hideout inside a Toys "R" Us store in the city of Charlotte, coming out after closure at night to wash in the bathroom, surviving largely on snack foods like M&Ms. He later developed a romantic relationship with one of the store's employees, played by Kirsten Dunst.
Manchester would call Tatum often from prison as the actor prepared for the role. Tatum voiced sympathy for a man who made a series of disastrous choices in an effort to earn enough money for his three children.
"Look, I was a stripper," said Tatum, whose experiences at a Tampa nightclub partly informed the 2012 film Magic Mike. "Sometimes the slippery slope just gets more and more slippery, and then you find yourself at the bottom not knowing how to get up again," he said.
Roofman has the tone of a romantic comedy, emphasizing Manchester's boyish playfulness while alone at night in a toy store for months. Director Derek Cianfrance told reporters the decision to focus on levity, not the severity of Manchester's crimes, was a deliberate choice.
"Society judged (Manchester) very harshly, and he's serving 45 years (in prison)," said Cianfrance. "I thought that in our movie we could look at him with a little bit more grace."
Manchester has unsuccessfully tried to escape from prison twice since his re-arrest in 2005.
By Ben Simon / AFP
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