Channing Tatum doesn’t have to think twice about his relationship with Zoë Kravitz.
Still, the 21 Jump Street star was recently able to pinpoint how filming the duo’s upcoming horror film Blink Twice—which Zoë directed and Channing stars in—helped bring them closer together.
“Our relationship was sort of born inside of the creative process of it in a way,” Channing explained in an exclusive interview with E! News at the Fly Me To the Moon premiere July 8. “It didn't feel any different. That was what brought us together and made us really feel like we're very connected on what we love about life, what we love about just things in general about being alive.” (For more from Channing’s interview, watch E! News July 9.)
And Channing—who got engaged to Zoë in October after two years of dating—noted that taking on such an intense project with his partner strengthened their bond.
“It was just easy,” he continued. “Making movies are hard. One thing I will say is if you think you're in love with somebody and you're thinking about, ‘Do I want to stay with them forever or be with them or have a child with them or get married?’ Go find the hardest possible project that you can physically find. Go build a house, paint a room, do something.”
The 44-year-old—who shares 11-year-old daughter Everly with ex Jenna Dewan—emphasized that just surviving hard times together isn’t a perfect litmus test, adding that a couple should actually “enjoy it.” Naturally, that’s how he felt while filming with Zoë.
“I just respect her point of view so much,” he gushed. “That I need her in those hard moments more than I’m like, worried if we’re going to get through the hard moments.”
And while Zoë and Channing’s movie doesn’t hit theaters until August, the Magic Mike star is staying busy at the box office as he also stars alongside Scarlett Johansson in the upcoming Fly Me To The Moon.
“It's like looking into the sun, like every take,” he said of sharing the screen with the Oscar nominee. “It's one of the biggest reasons why I want to do the movie—to actually work with her. I've heard so much about her. I've watched her work for pretty much since I started working.”
As for how Channing and Scarlett matched up on set? “It just worked,” Channing noted. “We both have kids, you know, so it's just one of those easy moments.”
To see what he means, catch Fly Me To the Moon when it hits theaters July 12.
And until Zoë and Channing can prove how their off-screen chemistry leaks into their creative endeavors when Blink Twice hits theaters, keep reading for every sweet moment from their romance.
—Reporting by Emily Curl
Collaborators: June 2021
In a June 2021 interview with Deadline, Channing Tatum shared how honored he was that Zoë Kravitz thought to include him in her directorial debut, Pussy Island.
Romance Rumors: Aug. 2021
Amid rumblings of a romance, Tatum and Kravitz appeared to confirm their relationship status in Aug. 2021 with a sweet bike ride around New York City. "There's more than a friendship going on with Channing and Zoe," a source told E! News at the time. "They are spending a lot of time together and having fun. They are more than just close friends or co-stars. Their relationship has grown into more."
Met Gala Date Night: Sept. 2021
Though they initially posed separately on the 2021 Met Gala red carpet, the duo was photographed exiting the star-studded event together. Tatum even shared a photo with Kravitz on his Instagram Story from the after-party.
First Halloween: Oct. 2021
For their first Halloween together, the pair dressed up as Robert De Niro and Jodie Foster's characters from the film Taxi Driver.
A "Wonderful" Romance: Nov. 2022
During a chat with GQ, published in Nov. 2022, Kravitz said of Tatum, "He's just a wonderful human. He makes me laugh and we both really love art and talking about art and the exploration of why we do what we do. We love to watch a film and break it down and talk about it and challenge each other."
Engaged: Oct. 2023
After over two years of dating, multiple outlets confirmed that Kravitz and Tatum are engaged to be married.