Alex Pettyfer finally reveals the details behind his longstanding feud with Magic Mike costar, Channing Tatum.
In a new podcast interview with author Bret Easton Ellis, Pettyfer explains that Tatum didn’t want him cast in the original movie because of his onset reputation. Director Steven Soderbergh felt Pettyfer was the right choice. Things only got worse while onset, but Pettyfer also takes responsibility for his part in the feud.
More: Alex Pettyfer cast as Channing Tatum in stripper flick
When Ellis asked about whether Pettyfer and Tatum butted heads on the 2012 movie, Pettyfer said, “It’s true. Because Channing Tatum does not like me — and for many reasons [and] many being my own fault.”
Pettyfer claims his insecurities onset gave him a bad rep.
“I was scared to speak. I actually did my work and I sat in the corner and listened to music because I had been told anything I did was wrong by my reps. I was very insecure as a human being. That also gave me a bad rep because everyone was like, ‘Alex doesn’t speak because he thinks he’s better than everyone else.’ That’s not true. I was just generally nervous and scared to be myself. I was in character.”
Adding fuel to the fire, Pettyfer was staying with one of Tatum’s friends during filming but never paid his rent. Pettyfer said he “couldn’t breathe” in the apartment because of mold and dust. His move out coincided with his cousin’s death, which is why he claims he forgot.
Pettyfer says, “All of a sudden I got a very negative email from Channing — rightfully so — saying, ‘Don’t f*** my friends. You owe money. Pay the f***ing money. Don’t be a clown.’ And I really took that the wrong way, which I shouldn’t have, and emailed him back and said, ‘I’m in a real negative headspace and can you respect me for a moment and blah, blah, blah.’ And I got hounded through this time of grieving for money.
“By the end of it,” he continued, “I just said, ‘F*** them, what is money when life is so much more? I’m not paying.’ And I should have just paid. I think he was looking for an excuse to not like me.”
More:6 Reasons why Magic Mike XXL is even better than the first
During Magic Mike reshoots, things got even worse. Pettyfer claims that Tatum told everyone that he didn’t like him. “What Channing says goes,” he told Ellis. “He’s a movie star. I made the poor decisions.”
Pettyfer was noticeably absent from Magic Mike XXL. Despite it all, Pettyfer says he learned a lot from the situation.
“Channing was actually an incredible influence on me because after this whole situation happened, this was kind of the end of my immaturity and all my experiences put into one. It was an incredible experience making Magic Mike. I wouldn’t replace it for anything.”
Well, at least he learned. Now we know: Don’t mess with Channing Tatum, pay the rent that’s due and not all hot guys get along.
Leave a Comment