Channing Tatum's 'Dirty Dancing' With His Dog, And A Few Other Things You Didn't Know About The 'Magic Mike' Star

When Channing Tatum made his on-screen debut as a street smart, smooth grooving bad boy in Step Up, few could have imagined that he'd skyrocket to A-list fame. But over the last few years he's been a shining star in indie dramas such as A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints and proven to be a box office draw with tween friendly hits like Dear John and The Vow.

CNN has declared 2012 a Good Year to be Channing Tatum and with the success of 21-Jump Street and the critical praise for Magic Mike (who knew?), it's easy to see why it's good to be Channing.

Magic Mike is loosely based on Tatum's difficult pre-acting days, during which the actor worked several jobs to stay afloat, including construction and -- yep -- exotic dancing. Tatum has spoken candidly about being a stripper from the age of 18 to 19, even sharing stories with director Steven Soderbergh to be included in the screenplay.

Though Tatum, more than your typical celebrity, is something of an open book, we found some lesser-known facts about the sexy actor.

1. Tatum can recreate the famous Dirty Dancing lift scene with his dog. In an interview with Ellen, the actor shared a video he took with his dog Lulu in which they reenact the signature dance move, made famous by Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in the 1987 classic.

2. In an interview with Live With Kelly Tatum revealed that he has a passion for sculpting. His wife, Step Up co-star Jenna Dewan-Tatum, had a sculpting studio put into their home as a Christmas gift.

It's something recently that I just found that I loved, he said.

3. Though the actor is known for his bawdy sense of humor, he suffered from depression as a teenager. He has spoken openly about the negative effect medication had on him.

I got put on Ritalin and Dexedrine...but the longer I took Dexadrine, the worse I felt. It sucked all the personality from me. he told Details.

I would think suicidal -- I was never personally suicidal, but I could see how some kids were, how they'd be, like, 'I can't take this anymore.'

4. Tatum was awarded the Peabody Award (which recognizes excellence in TV and radio) for executive producing the documentary Earth Made of Glass. The actor shared the honor with Dewan-Tatum, Reid Carolin, and director Deborah Scranton. The film explores the ripple effect of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. It premiered at the 2010 Tribeca film festival and was subsequently picked up by HBO.

5. While filming The Eagle In the Ninth the actor severely burned his penis. While filming a water scene in the Scottish Highlands, crew members were in tow to warm cast members up by pouring hot water into their wetsuits. Tatum was mistakenly doused with boiling hot water, which scalded his nether regions, and had to be hospitalized.

It was the most painful thing I have ever experienced in my life...I've been to the hospital, gotten stitches, had broken fingers and toes, He told Details. But this was a suffocating kind of pain.

Magic Mike hits theaters Friday. In other news, Channing Tatum has been tapped to star alongside Jamie Foxx and Maggie Gyllenhaal in White House Down, which will premiere in 2013.