Channing Tatum on Getting Naked in The Vow: It Was "Necessary"

Hunkster opens up about his more revealing scenes opposite Rachel McAdams

Channing Tatum has no problem showing off his naked butt in his new movie The Vow.

But taking his shirt off in the romance flick? That's another story.

Really?

"It was very gratuitous," the studster told me about a particular scene showing him taking out the trash bare-chested. "It was like, 'Do I really need to have my shirt off to take out the garbage while eating a piece of pizza and picking up a cat?' Shirtless? Was that really necessary?"

Maybe not, but even director Michael Sucsy admits it was completely gratuitous in order to "keep the fans happy."

As for the naked butt shot? That actually does help explain the relationship Tatum's character has with his wife (Rachel McAdams) after she loses her memory in a terrible car crash. "That wasn't gratuitous," Tatum said. "That was necessary."

His real-life wife, Jenna Dewan, didn't actually know about the full mooning until she saw the movie.

"I was like, 'There's his butt on the screen,'" she laughed. "But it's completely screen-worthy...It's definitely going to be something people rewind and play."

Gratuitous or not, Tatum knows it comes with his studly territory. But could one of his next movies, Magic Mike, be the final straw? The hunk-filled flick is about a bunch of male strippers.

"I'm sure," he said, "it won't be the last time I take my clothes off."

And for that, we say, "Thank you."