Actor Channing Tatum might be best known to audiences as a shirtless young man, baring his muscular physique for the pages of Abercrombie & Fitch catalogues. His career began when he was cast as an extra in the Ricky Martin video for "She Bangs." Up until then, he'd been drifting from one job to another after the promising football career he prepared for in military school floundered when he entered college. Modeling proved to be a natural fit for Tatum, and he cultivated a successful career appearing in print ads and commercials for such companies as Nautica, Gap, Aeropostale, Emporio Armani, American Eagle, and Pepsi. His charisma in front of the camera didn't go unnoticed and he soon parlayed his modeling career into a shot at acting, landing an appearance on CSI: Miami in 2004. He was soon given a substantial role in the sports drama Coach Carter, which dealt with familiar subject matter for the life-long athlete. He had no trouble being cast in films geared towards twentysomethings, as 2005 and 2006 brought him roles in Havoc, Supercross, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, She's the Man, and Step Up. Within only a few short years, Tatum had worked with many other up-and-coming actors of his generation such as Amanda Bynes, Anne Hathaway Jenna Dewan and Bijou Phillips Tatum's time spent paying his dues would prove short, however, as he found himself cast as the leading role in 2007's epic Genghis Khan biopic Mongol: The Early Years of Genghis Khan, directed by legendary Russian filmmaker Sergei Bodrov. Tatum's French, Irish, and Native American ancestry brought controversy to this casting choice, as some argued the actor's heritage made him a good fit for the 13th century Mongolian leader, while others pointed out that an actor with an Asian ethnic background would be more appropriate. All Movie Guide