Why Director Kimberly Peirce Chose Channing Tatum for 'Stop-Loss'
Channing Tatum's drama 'Stop-Loss', where he plays a career soldier who's dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after completing a tour in Iraq, will be released on DVD and Blue-Ray on July 8, 2008.
From what I can tell, the 'Stop-Loss' DVD will include the following extras on both the US and international versions:
- Commentary by Director Kimberly Peirce and Co-Writer Mark Richard
- The Making Of Stop-Loss
- A Day In Boot Camp Featurette
- 11 Deleted Scenes
"...I had a wonderful time finding Channing to play Sgt. Steve Shriver. Channing came in after a long day of auditioning. He had been in a few movies. I think one was Coach Carter, which I hadn't seen, the others hadn't come out. It generally doesn't matter for me when auditioning whether I've seen an actor's prior work. I like to see what they feel like and what they can do in the room.
Channing was hunky, good-looking and masculine. And he had that spark of charisma and anger and confidence that allowed him to be the guy that just might charge into that house in the combat scene to go after the insurgent who was firing on his best buddy Sergeant King (Ryan), and he could be the guy who ended up digging a ranger grave in his front yard, who shot up the wedding cards off the wedding gifts with his buddies, and who re-signed up with the military because being with his comrades and at war made more sense than being at home. Channing had all the passion, emotion and physicality we needed and talent to fully embody the role. He did break dancing for me at the end of the first audition.
Channing and I worked together a total of three times, twice in LA and once in NY before I cast him. On the final audition he told me he would do whatever it would take to perform the part. I said that was important to playing "STEVE," since he was a believer, someone who put himself totally into what he did. We worked together for a few hours and sent the tape of our work to Scott Rudin. Scott called the studio. I called the studio. And they let us cast him. I was thrilled. He was pure physicality and charm.
On set, Channing was sheer energy, willing to try anything, go anywhere emotionally and bare himself – his vulnerability, his sense of dignity and his feelings of brotherhood for the other men. Channing is a lovely person, a wonderful actor, generous to his fellow actors, and a good friend.
At some point in production, I needed some pictures of Channing as a kid to flesh out our portrait of SGT. STEVE SHRIVER. His mother sent me a whole batch of images – him doing a kind of handstand at 3 years old, him with tons of muscles, him in football gear. He told me she called him "CHANIMAL." Which I thought was great because I had called him "MANIMAL," my "MAN," "ANIMAL."..."
Finally, I found a newly posted interview that Channing Tatum and his 'Stop-Loss' co-star Ryan Phillippe did for The Big Story when they were promoting the film. You can CLICK HERE to watch the video, or you can check it out below. Enjoy!
3 comments:
Oooh, I wana c dis pic of him kinda doin a headstand @ 3years old, n da tons of muscle, n of him in his football gear. Man we r sooooo due 4 mre pics.
Imma lykin da 'Manimal' name, N 'Chanimal' name, oooh la la =]
i like it that he knows what he wants and really goes for it. i remember reading somewhere that he doesn't want to get to the point where he doesn't have to audition anymore. he's a real actor, not just some celebrity trying to act.
i wish kay would send ctu some more pictures of chan as a child!
Post a Comment