Channing Tatum shared his experience filming the revealing leech scene in The Lost City, where he appeared nude alongside co-star Sandra Bullock. The actor described the discomfort and humor involved during the shoot, reflecting on the challenging atmosphere of performing such an exposed moment.
Multiple Takes Due to Uncontrollable Laughter
Tatum discussed the scene during his appearance on Hot Ones, where host Sean Evans asked if it was true that he had to do 50 takes because he kept laughing at a particular line. The actor confirmed the claim with a chuckle, admitting,
“It wasn’t 50 takes, but it was a lot — more than it needed to be.”
He explained that the scene was filmed early in the production, saying,
“It was the second day of filming.”
Preparing for the scene, Tatum humorously highlighted the inherent awkwardness of disrobing in front of the entire cast and crew, many of whom were strangers to him. Fortunately, he felt a slight comfort knowing Bullock was somewhat familiar to him since their children attend the same school.
Breaking the Ice in an Unusual Way on Set
To ease the tension, Tatum joked about introducing himself despite the unusual circumstance. He said,
“You have to walk on to set and you have to be like, ‘Hello, everyone. My name’s Chan. I know we’ve only had really one more day to get to know each other, so you’re going to see my d—k today. We’re going to get to know each other very well. This is my d—k. My name’s Chan. I’ll get to know your names later.’”
He also found the more uncomfortable aspect to be Bullock’s requirement to perform a lengthy monologue while interacting with the leeches attached to his body, rather than simply removing them.
Reflecting on the surreal nature of the situation, Tatum commented,
“It’s like a fever dream to even explain any of this.”
Sandra Bullock’s Take on the Scene
Sandra Bullock has previously talked about the scene on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, describing Tatum’s exposed state as “stupid naked.” She clarified that the scene featured actual nudity rather than CGI, stating,
“There is a full cheek … but I don’t believe we showed the full left cheek.”
Bullock admitted the difficulty she faced performing with two pages of dialogue while positioned so close in the scene.
“I had to spend some time down there,”
she remarked.
“In all honesty if you’re down there and you have two pages of dialogue, if you’re looking directly at it, you’ll get nothing done.”
The Scene’s Impact and Audience Reaction
This notorious moment in The Lost City highlights the lengths actors go for comedy and realism, even under awkward or uncomfortable conditions. Tatum’s candid recounting of the behind-the-scenes tension, paired with Bullock’s frank reflections, provide insight into the complexities of shooting such an unconventional scene. Their openness invites audiences to appreciate the humor and challenges involved in filmmaking.
Fans interested in hearing more can watch Channing Tatum’s full interview on Hot Ones, where he discusses the scene in greater detail.
