Channing Tatum is raking in the box office dollars playing a male stripper, but a man in prison says he's the real-life "Magic Mike." INSIDE EDITION has the details.
Channing Tatum is getting rave reviews for his starring role in the hit movie Magic Mike—a role he says is based on his real life experience as a male stripper.
But now, a Florida man is coming forward, claiming he's the real "Magic Mike."
INSIDE EDITION found ex-stripper Mike Sorrentino behind bars in Orlando, where he's serving a four-year sentence for drug trafficking.
"I am the real 'Magic Mike,'" said Sorrentino, "That was a part of my life that I'll never forget. And apparently he didn't forget either."
Sorrentino says it was he who taught a young Channing Tatum all about the world of male dancing.
In footage obtained by Us magazine, Tatum performs in Tampa, Florida. He was 19 and just starting out. His stage name was Chan Crawford.
"He's a handsome guy, and tall. You know, he had something to offer the group," said Sorrentino.
Tatum branched out into modeling and soon moved to Hollywood, where he worked for years to bring Magic Mike to the big screen. Now, his old mentor claims Tatum took his life story.
Tatum freely admits that the movie was inspired by his stripper days, but denies the characters are based on real people.
"There's not one character that I took from my real life. This is just a world that I went into and I had a perspective on. And we created everything from a fictional place," said Tatum.
But his old dance buddy isn't buying it.
