How Tatum added his magic to real-life Toys 'R' Us fugitive role

In the late Eighties, the American toy store chain Toys 'R' Us was a paradise for young children - a haven for play and imagination.

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But it was also the unlikely hiding place for convicted spree-robber and former United States Army Reserve soldier Jeffrey Manchester.

For six months, Manchester - portrayed by Channing Tatum in the new crime comedy film Roofman - hid out in a branch of the toy shop in Charlotte, North Carolina, surviving solely on in-store M&Ms. For the role, 45-year-old Tatum tried to embody Manchester in every way. He lost a lot of weight to ensure that there was a physical transformation, and he started communicating with Manchester - who is serving the remainder of his 35-year sentence at Central Prison in Raleigh, North Carolina - regularly to get a better understanding of his intentions, fully immersing himself into the role.

"I didn’t know what to expect, talking to him," says Tatum, who is also known for his starring roles in the 21 Jump Street and Step Up films. "Some days, we talked about him; others, we just talked about me. And talking to Jeff was really easy - he kind of takes care of you in the conversations. He controls and helps the process along."