Why Channing Tatum Almost Turned Down Magic Mike 3

Channing Tatum almost didn’t make it to Magic Mike’s Last Dance.

The 41-year-old actor discussed the upcoming third installment of the hit male stripper film franchise on The Kelly Clarkson Show Thursday, Feb. 17. There, he was shown a photo of himself shirtless and ripped as Mike, showcasing his dance moves, in the previous 2015 sequel, Magic Mike XXL.

“That might be the reason why I didn’t want to do a third one,” Tatum told host Kelly Clarkson. “Because I have to look like that.”

He continued, “it’s hard to look like that, even if you do work out, to be in that kind of in shape is not natural….you have to starve yourself. I don’t think when you’re that lean, it’s actually healthy.”

Tatum recalled having to “work out twice a day” and “eat completely right at a certain time.” He also said his weight fluctuates about 15 pounds and spoke about diet challenges.

“Why, when it takes like, I don’t know, two months to get really lean, in three days, you can ruin it?” he said. “It’s gone. I was like, ‘What happened?'”