She's the Man, the 2006 comedy loosely based on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, introduced the world to Channing Tatum, a charismatic doofus who would later go on to be one of Hollywood's most recognizable actors. In a wide-ranging and revealing interview with Paper magazine, the movie's star Amanda Bynes, 32, revealed that Tatum was in part her pick.
"I totally fought for Channing [to get cast in] that movie because he wasn't famous yet. He'd just done a Mountain Dew commercial and I was like, 'This guy's a star — every girl will love him!'" Bynes told the publication. Producers apparently were concerned that Tatum was too old for the role. He was 25 while Bynes was only 19 during production. Still, he ended up in the cast, and She's the Man is now one of Tatum's most recognizable roles. (Aside from Step Up, that is.) So, yes, Tatum has Bynes to thank for his very healthy career. Refinery29 has reached out to representation for Tatum regarding this anecdote.
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The other thing about She's the Man, though, is that it marked a turning point in Bynes' career. For many, it's one of her most recognizable films. But for herself, it was troubling time. She says in the interview that she couldn't stand the sight of herself dressed as a boy. "I went into a deep depression for 4-6 months because I didn't like how I looked when I was a boy," she admitted.
This led to a deep-seated insecurity about her looks which, according to Bynes, ultimately led to her early retirement, which she announced on Twitter back in 2010. The good news is, she's back — maybe there's another Tatum collab in her future?
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