Real Channing Tatum Stripper Videos Go Viral as 'Magic Mike' Opens (Photo, Video)

The "Magic Mike" star's exotic past is slowly emerging on the internet ahead of his new film's release.

In case you hadn't heard: Channing Tatum was once a stripper.

Yes, the tales told in his new film, Magic Mike, are steeped in fact, and based on his own life: In the late 90's, Tatum dropped out of college and worked as an exotic dancer in male revues in Florida, performing under the name Chan Crawford.

From there, he went on to become a music video dancer, and ultimately, a leading man in Hollywood. And he isn't afraid of his stripper past, either; otherwise, he wouldn't be starring in a movie based on it (or denying that he stole moves and stories from fellow dancers).

Still, admitting it and showing it are two entirely different things, and while there were no camera phones or easy-to-upload sites like YouTube at the time, some precious footage of Tatum (nee Crawford) working it in his most immodest costumes has cleared the technological divide and made its way up onto the web. Good luck throwing dollar bills at your monitor.