Channing Tatum could have been another breakout star from the Fast & Furious franchise if the actor had a better audition in the mid-2000s. The Fast Saga launched in 2001 with The Fast and the Furious and starred Vin Diesel and Paul Walker in the lead roles. Nearly two decades later, the franchise is still speeding along with F9 set to release in May with a tenth film scheduled for 2021. Here’s who Tatum auditioned for and why it wasn’t a fond memory in his career.

In the early years of The Fast Saga, Tatum was just establishing his career as an actor. His film debut came in 2005 with a role in Coach Carter. Tatum’s big break then came in 2006 with appearances in She’s the Man and Step Up. After appearing in films like G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Dear John, and The Vow, Tatum proved himself to be a leading star with roles in 21 Jump Street, Magic Mike, and White House Down. He then became a heavily sought after actor and worked on projects like Foxcatcher, 22 Jump Street, Magic Mike XXL, The Hateful Eight, Hail, Caesar!, Logan Lucky, and Kingsman: The Golden Circle.

Before making a name for himself, Tatum auditioned for a part in The Fast Saga’s third installment, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. The 2006 movie was the first to not heavily feature lead characters from previous installments and instead focused on a high schooler sent to live with his father in Tokyo where he got swept into the drifting community. Tatum never directly spoke about the specific role he auditioned for, but it was clearly for the lead protagonist, Sean Boswell. The part ended up going to Lucas Black, an actor who is around the same age as Tatum. It’s easy to assume Black’s audition went a lot smoother than what Tatum experienced.

Channing Tatum’s Fast & Furious Audition Was A Horrible Experience

Tatum’s recollection of his Fast & Furious audition has been anything but great. The actor has claimed it was his worst audition he can remember. Not only did he feel off from the start, but Tatum also forgot his lines and started freaking out. It got so bad that the young actor stopped midway through the audition and decided to leave, and nobody intervened. It also didn’t help that Tatum was more interested in shooting in Tokyo than he was acquiring the role. In the years that followed, Tatum tried to block out the tanked audition but has since used it as a learning experience.

It would have been interesting to see what would have happened if Tatum joined the Fast & Furious franchise. Not many characters from Tokyo Drift had a future in The Fast Saga but it’s possible that Tatum would have impressed enough to show his potential as a leading star. It’s easy to imagine someone like Tatum starring opposite Diesel or John Cena in a big-budget franchise film. With another film still in development, it’s always possible Tatum could get another shot at joining the Fast family.

Next: Why Dwayne Johnson Isn’t Returning For Fast & Furious 9

  • F9: The Fast Saga Release Date: 2021-06-25