Channing Tatum reveals why he was 'so scared' to work with a first-time child actor in “Josephine”
- - Channing Tatum reveals why he was 'so scared' to work with a first-time child actor in “Josephine”
Mike MillerJanuary 23, 2026 at 9:01 PM
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Greta Zozula/Courtesy of Sundance Institute
Gemma Chan, Mason Reeves, and Channing Tatum in 'Josephine'
Channing Tatum felt like a concerned parent working with newcomer Mason Reeves on his latest drama, Josephine.
In the film, which had its world premiere on Friday at the Sundance Film Festival, Reeves plays the titular role of an 8-year-old who develops behavioral problems after witnessing a brutal sexual assault in Golden State Park. Tatum stars as her father, Damien, with Gemma Chan playing her mother, Claire.
While Damien and Josephine share a tight bond, they clash when she lashes out as she tries to process the traumatic experience at the park.
After the film, Tatum, Chan, and Reeves participated in a Q&A alongside writer-director Beth de Araujo. Tatum and his onscreen daughter's tight real-life relationship was evident from the moment he arrived onstage beside her, sweeping the young actress into his arms to cheers from the audience.
Neilson Barnard/Getty
Channing Tatum, Mason Reeves, and Gemma Chan at the Sundance premiere of 'Josephine'
Asked how they developed a familial bond for the film, Tatum gave credit to Reeves, a first-time actress whom de Araujo discovered at a San Francisco farmer's market.
"This one made it a lot easier because it was just a lot of fun to get to play around with her," Tatum said. "I was more concerned with her not thinking that I was actually mad at her. I was like, 'You know, I was just acting. right?'"
Reeves drew laughter from the audience at Park City, Utah's Eccles Theater when she responded confidently, "He kept asking me about it, and I was like, I’m fine!"
"I was so scared," Tatum said, laughing.
Elsewhere in the Q&A, Tatum revealed that the world premiere was the first time he had seen the movie. Calling de Araujo a "master filmmaker," he said he cried "five, six, seven," times during the screening.
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The 2026 Sundance Film Festival kicked off Thursday night and wraps up Feb. 1. This is the festival's final year in Utah; it moves to Boulder, Co., in 2027.
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
