Animated Film ‘The Book of Life’ Press Conference Featuring Channing Tatum

The Book of Life, produced by Guillermo del Toro and directed by Jorge R. Gutierrez, is the story of Manolo, a young man who is torn between fulfilling the expectations of his family and following his heart. He embarks on an adventure that spans three fantastic worlds where he must face his greatest fears.

The film, written by 20th Century Fox, touches on the intricate themes of death, selflessness and more.

Joaquin, the heroic character Channing Tatum plays, is forced to recognize that to be a hero one must truly be selfless. To this point, I asked Channing if there has ever been a point in his career when he has been selfish. “Selfless or selfish?” he asked.

“Selfish…and perhaps learned to be selfless afterwards?” I added.

“Actually, when I was going to do Jump Street, I had just worked with Chris Pratt, and I looked at him when I was about to go do Jump Street. I looked at Chris Pratt and I go, Man, I don’t know how to tell you this, but I’m about to go do a movie I think you’d be way better for,” Channing chuckled.
“I guess that was my selfish, because I went and did the movie.”

When it comes to being selfless, it has taken Channing around three to four years to learn that as an actor, “You are not the story. The story is the story. The movie is the story.” While a lot of young actors tend to worry only about themselves, Channing suggests looking at the storyline as a whole and thinking of yourself (the actor) as just a part of it. This, in turn, will result in your best work.

The Book of Life features the voices of Kate del Castillo, Ice Cube, Plácido Domingo, Ana de la Reguera, Zoe Saldaña, Channing Tatum, Danny Trejo and more. The film hits theaters this Friday, October 17th.