Channing Tatum returns to the big screen this weekend in Roofman and, if the reviews are any indication, Tatum has delivered one of the best performances of his career in the very bizarre and offbeat true story of spree robber Jeffrey Manchester. As an actor, it took Tatum a little time to be taken seriously, as some believed he was more of a pretty face who was suited for an easy laugh rather than much emotional depth.

Over the years, Tatum has proven himself to be a capable performer on both the comedic and dramatic fronts, and he has only improved as his filmography has grown. If you’re deciding if Roofman should be your movie ticket for the weekend, let’s take a look back at Tatum’s five best performances ahead of the recently released crime comedy.

Honorable Mention: She’s The Man (2006) as Duke Orsino

She’s the Man was released during a big year for Tatum. After making his film debut in 2005’s Coach Carter, the actor had two successful releases the following year, with this modern-day William Shakespeare adaptation and the romantic dance drama Step Up, just five months later. Step Up received more attention, but She’s The Man helped establish Tatum’s comedic brand. Directed by Andy Fickman from a screenplay by Ewan Leslie, Karen McCullah Lutz, and Kirsten Smith,

She’s The Man is loosely based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and follows Viola Hastings (Amanda Bynes), a teenager who disguises herself as her twin brother to attend his boarding school and join their soccer team. Tatum co-stars as Duke Orsino, the soccer team’s captain, who is trying to figure out his love for Olivia (Laura Ramsey) while balancing his feelings for Violet (Bynes), who is masquerading as her twin brother Sebastian (also Bynes). It might sound a bit complicated, but what’s easy to see is that the role could’ve easily been the stereotypical dumb jock, but Tatum imbues Duke with sensitivity and vulnerability that is played for laughs, but the actor manages to also make it a sincere and likable character trait.

It also showed early on that Tatum had an eye for comedy, something he gets frequent opportunities to display alongside Bynes, with whom he shares an effortless chemistry with whether he’s falling for Violet or developing a bromance with Sebastian. Despite mixed reviews, She’s The Man was successful, grossing $57.2 million globally on a $25 million budget, and it has gone on to develop a bit of a cult following, with Tatum earning much of the film’s praise.

5. Magic Mike (2012) as Michael “Magic Mike” Lane

Tatum’s natural skills as a dancer were cultivated from real-life experience as a former male stripper in Tampa, Florida, and the actor loosely took some of that experience when he was 18 to help develop Magic Mike, which was given some prestige class by director Steven Soderbergh. Written by Reid Carolin, Magic Mike follows Adam “The Kid” (Alex Pettyfer), a young college dropout who finds himself in the world of male stripping and under the guidance of Mike Lane (Tatum), who takes him under his wing at the Xquisite Strip Club. Matthew McConaughey certainly gets the flashier role as Dallas, the owner of the strip club and Mike’s boss, but it’s Tatum’s natural screen presence and charisma that keep Magic Mike grounded.

Given the nature of the film, it would’ve been easy to make the movie a tawdry and meaningless eye candy extravaganza, but it’s a true character-driven story, with Mike wanting more for himself following six years in business that doesn’t completely fulfill him. Perhaps because it pulls from some of Tatum’s own experiences, the film manages a sense of authenticity, and it’s something that shines through in the actor’s performance. There is more than enough stripping razzle-dazzle to entertain the masses, but the film is at its best when it showcases Mike’s conflict, especially as he watches Alex get deeper into a lifestyle that he himself is looking to escape. Tatum’s performance here is much more layered and nuanced than it’s given credit for.

Tatum really brought it in one of his most recent roles in the psychological thriller Blink Twice as Slater King, a billionaire tech mogul who invites friends old and new to his private island. Directed by Zoë Kravitz, in her directorial debut from a screenplay she co-wrote with E.T. Feigenbaum, everything on paper feels right about the private island invite until it becomes clear that there are strange and sinister events transpiring involving the island’s generous host and some of the attendees. Tatum gets to present a twist on his charm in Blink Twice, convincingly portraying the billionaire tech king while seamlessly slipping into a terrifying villain role once the plot gradually begins to reveal itself.

While the film is littered with stellar turns from Naomi Ackie, Adria Arjona, Christian Slater, and others, it’s Tatum’s complex and manipulative villain that steals the show. It represents a departure from Tatum’s other work and is a strong case that he should go bad more often. This is a prime example of someone using their considerable screen presence to deceive the audience and turn them on their heads. His best moment here? In what could’ve been laughable in lesser hands, Tatum’s psychotic delivery of “I’m Sorry” over and over again is derangement at its finest.

3. 22 Jump Street (2014) as Greg Jenko

It was really hard not to just combine 21 and 22 Jump Street in the number three position, but when it was all said and done, Tatum’s performance in the sequel gets a slight edge over what is still a masterful comedic turn in the first film. Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller from a screenplay by Jonah Hill, Michael Bacall, Oren Uziel, and Rodney Rothman, 22 Jump Street serves as the sequel to 21 Jump Street, which was based on the Fox television series of the same name. In the first film, Tatum’s Greg Jenko and Hill’s Morton Schmidt went undercover in high school, but the sequel takes the police officers to college to help find the supplier of a deadly new drug. 21 Jump Street truly tapped into Tatum’s talents as a comedic actor, and the sequel only amplifies them by letting him cut loose even more.

Whether it’s the “My name is Jeff” moment that opens the film or his gut-busting reaction to learning that Morton slept with Deputy Chief Hardy’s (Ice Cube) daughter, Tatum is in top form here and gets most of the film’s many laughs. Much like how he began in She’s the Man, Tatum can make dimwitted also lovable, and he’s able to find the right balance to deliver the comedic bits while also keeping Greg relatively grounded. Combine that with great comedic chemistry with Hill, and this is a role that Tatum was born to play and represents a franchise that could’ve honestly kept going because it represents a rare comedy sequel that’s slightly better than the original.

2. Foxcatcher (2014) as Mark Schultz

Steve Carell and Mark Ruffalo received the lion’s share of the attention for their roles in this biographical sports film, which also earned them Oscar nominations, but Tatum’s performance in Foxcatcher is also worthy of considerable praise. Directed by Bennett Miller from a screenplay by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman, Foxcatcher is loosely based on the true life of John du Pont (Carell), the multimillionaire heir to the E.I. du Pont family fortune and wrestling enthusiast who, in 1986, recruited Olympic gold medalist wrestlers Mark Schultz (Tatum) and his older David (Ruffalo) to help coach other American wrestlers for participation in Olympic competition.

It also dives into the twisted tale of du Pont’s murder of David, which makes this deeper than your typical sports biopic. Carell, buried in prosthetics, gets the flashier role of du Pont, and Ruffalo’s may have more emotive depth, but it’s Tatum’s quiet and understated turn that resonates in its honesty.

Much of Foxcatcher works because of Tatum’s grounded performance at the center of the film, which effectively showcases Mark’s need for direction, something that Carell’s du Pont seizes on with creepy manipulation. Tatum exudes a quiet unease throughout the film, and it explodes during a powerful moment in a hotel room following a wrestling loss. As he punches himself in the face and smashes his head into a mirror, Tatum is like a volcano that has finally erupted, which reportedly resulted in real-life injuries for the actor. Tatum earns the moment because his burdened performance throughout hints at this anger, and he gets to express it at just the right moment. He may not have scored an Oscar nomination, but he was certainly deserving of one.

1. A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006) as Antonio

Also released during Tatum’s big year in 2006, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints was mostly ignored at the time of its release because it was a smaller effort that only grossed $2 million by the end of its run, but it’s an early, and sometimes forgotten, indication of Tatum’s talents as a dramatic actor. Directed by Dito Montiel from a screenplay he wrote based on his 2001 memoir of the same name, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints follows young Dito’s (Shia LaBeouf) troubled youth in Astoria, Queens, New York during the ’80s and him reconciling the events of his upbringing and his relationship with his friends as an adult (played by Robert Downey Jr. in present day scenes).

Tatum portrays Dito’s hot-headed friend Antonio, and despite this being a supporting role, Tatum steals every scene he’s in. He captures Antonio’s duality as a fiercely loyal friend while also effectively portraying his simmering rage and violence.

Antonio is combustible and extremely self-destructive, but Tatum gives the role considerable emotional depth as it’s clear that Antonio is a victim of his circumstances and his surroundings. He’s a character out of options and someone who has accepted his role in life, while Dito dreams of something more. There are times when Antonio veers on the edge of being unlikable, but Tatum brings it back down to reality and makes the audience see that Antonio was dealt a bad hand and can’t find his way out of a messed-up situation. Tatum’s strongest moment sees his younger brother Giuseppe (Adam Scarimbolo) lying down on a subway track despite warnings from Antonio that a train is coming.

Tatum jumps from egging his brother on to believable fear as he realizes his brother isn’t going to get back up on the platform in time before he’s struck and killed. Tatum’s wave of emotions is palpable, and if there was any early doubt of what he was capable of, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints makes for a stellar reference point.

Roofman is now playing in theaters nationwide.

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