Channing Tatum charms Knoxville fans at Regal fundraiser

Channing Tatum visited Knoxville for the first time Wednesday night at Regal Cinemas red carpet fundraiser film premiere for Variety – The Children’s Charity and had only kind words to say about the crowd at the event.

Tatum talked about being able to give back to people as a celebrity and said he was in the presence of really sweet people.

“Just giving back I think is just — I mean anything that we can do," said Tatum. "I mean we’re just actors, and we live in Los Angeles and anything we can do to help anybody, I mean it’s … like the smallest thing at the end of the day. You know there’s way harder things to do in life than to come out with some really really sweet people.”

The event at Regal's Pinnacle Stadium 18 theater in Turkey Creek featured a catered dinner, live music, an early screening of the upcoming film "Logan Lucky" and appearances by director Steven Soderbergh and Tatum, who greeted fans, posed for photos and signed autographs on the red carpet.

"Together, (Tatum and Soderbergh) have helped us raise over $580,000 to go back into the community hear in Eastern Tennessee," said Carol Fusco, Variety's Eastern Tennessee executive director. "It goes to purchase mobility equipment, as well as grant money to local organizations that serve at-risk children."

Variety of Eastern Tennessee, sponsored by Regal Entertainment Group and founded in 2001, has raised more than $9 million for children who have special needs or who are at risk or underprivileged, according to its website.

The Regal event wasn't the only part of Knoxville Tatum saw on Wednesday. He got to experience some of the area's outdoor activities. 

“We just drove in today," said Tatum. "We actually got to go swimming in the quarry just not even 15 minutes from here, so it was good. It was great.”

Fan frenzy

Tatum fans lined up early at the event hoping to interact and pose in photos with him.

Haley Fuller of Maryville said she camped out at West Town Mall two weeks ago to make sure she got tickets for the premiere for herself and her four friends. 

"I got there at 10 p.m. and was the first person in line the next day, " she said. "I was really surprised there weren't more people doing the same thing."

"I mean it's Channing Tatum," her friend interrupted. 

The group was in line at the theater nearly three hours early, dressed to the nines. 

They weren't alone either, Josalyn Smith waited at West Town Mall from 7 a.m. to noon to get tickets to the event for herself and her mom, Julie Maxwell.

The two follow Tatum on Instagram and hope Tatum will surprise fans by bringing his family on to the red carpet.  "It's so cool how he shares these moments like pictures of them wrapping Christmas presents or pictures of them in the car road tripping," Maxwell said. "He makes us feel like he's one of us." 

“Thanks Regal for posting it and having us come,” said Maxwell. “We wouldn’t have gotten to see him without Regal, there’s no other movie company that does for us in our Knoxville area what Regal does for us so I think they should definitely get props for all that.”

Michele Branham drove five hours into town, despite not having tickets to the premiere, hoping Tatum's winning personality would get her more than just a glimpse of the actor. She and a friend - who asked not to be named because she skipped work to come - woke up at 5 a.m. to drive from Dickson, Tenn., and waited in Turkey Creek since they arrived around 10 in the morning. "Hopefully he just comes over," Branham said. "We follow him on Instagram and Twitter and Facebook, and he's super fan-friendly." 

Not far away stood another risk-taker, 11-year-old Kamryn Frazier, whose family drove her nearly two hours into town so she could ask Tatum to endorse her for her middle school's student council. "There's a lot of people on my soccer team and at my school who like him so I think that if they have proof that he'd vote for me it would help," said Frazier, who was on student council last year.

'Logan Lucky'

“Logan Lucky” tells the story of two brothers, played by Tatum and Adam Driver, who attempt a heist during a North Carolina NASCAR race. It will hit Knoxville theaters on Aug. 18 and also stars Riley Keough, Seth MacFarlane, Katie Homes, Daniel Craig, Hilary Swank and others. 

Tatum drew from his experiences growing up in the South for his role in "Logan Lucky."

“Everything from the time you’re born to this moment, you try to use it," said Tatum. "You try to pull from it when you’re making a character. Instances in your life that you can kind of try to relate to on some level. I mean … I didn’t work in the coal mines, and I didn’t grow up in West Virginia, but just being human, you know, just being these guys … up in West Virginia ... they have a pretty tough go of it. I mean the mines shut down … and there’s not a ton of other opportunity there, so they’re just trying to figure it out, and they get into a little bit of trouble (in the film),” said Tatum, laughing. 

Tatum also spoke at the event about working on the film with Soderbergh. The two have collaborated on other projects including "Magic Mike" and "Haywire," and Tatum said Soderbergh empowers him as an actor.

“I mean other than the fact that he’s a master filmmaker. I mean that’s one. But I’ve learned a lot from Steven (Soderbergh). When I say I’ve learned from him, I mean it … I might not even be acting anymore if it wasn’t for him. He just kind of came into my life and my career at a time that I was really looking to like try to just take something and make it something that I didn’t even know what it could be. He’s taught me a lot and brought me … along the way and really taught me to do things differently and … how to change things and turn them up in the air.”