We all know Channing Tatum as a star of several well-known films like "21 Jump Street," "G.I. Joe Retaliation," and "The Vow." But what we do not know is how he struggled in the past to get to where he is now.

The "Foxcatcher" actor made headlines recently regarding his biggest, most critically acclaimed role in "Foxcatcher" as well as his "Magic Mike" sequel, but the actor wanted to talk about something else -- what he went through as a child after he was diagnosed to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia.

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"I've always negotiated the world very physically, from football to tussling at the playground to taking my clothes off," the 34-year-old actor said.

"My dad's a physical guy. I think that's how I wanted to see myself as a kid, how I won approval, and it's no secret that that's how I got into this business. But over time I've been able to develop other aspects of myself, sort of on-the-job training," he added.

The actor, who is an Alabama native, used to be a male stripper. His experience and struggle with poverty and desperation was what he used in order to channel the right emotions to bring in front of the camera, for his role in "Foxcatcher."

"Personally, I like being pushed into corners. It forces you to be creative. Being a stripper exposed me to a lot of people I might never have met, and that has turned out to be a gift. There are lots of characters I feel I can play as a result. So when people tell me they want to act, I'm like, 'Okay, if you want to act, go see America. If you can afford gas money, go talk to people and see how they really live," the actor said about where he gets his creativity.

The actor also mentioned his humble beginnings. Growing up in an average household, Tatum did not have the luxuries one would assume he would have.

"Sure, you can go to theater class at a young age. That's not how I did it," he said. "I would have loved to learn things earlier than I did, but then maybe I wouldn't have gone and done the things that gave me insight into what it is to be human - to have fears and wants."

The actor also talked about how he struggled with school when he was a child, because he was dyslexic and had ADHD.

"I have never considered myself a very smart person, for a lot of reasons," the actor confessed. 

"You get lumped in classes with kids with autism and Down syndrome, and you look around and say, 'Okay, so this is where I'm at.' Or you get put in typical classes and you said, 'All right, I'm obviously not like these kids either.' So you're kind of nowhere. You're just different. The system is broken. If we can streamline a multibillion dollar company, we should be able to help kids who struggle the way I did," the concerned actor said.

The challenges he faced prepared him for fatherhood. He and his wife, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, have a daughter named Everly. The actor admitted that taking care of his little girl was challenging, but he takes the challenge very seriously.

"You notice your behavior, like, 'Wow, I don't have much patience right now. Why is that?'" he said. "You spend the day watching this thing constantly taking in information, and you have to be sure you're making that happen. At the end of the day when I put her to bed, I feel glad to have some peace but to say to myself, 'That was so much fun.'"

TagsChanning Tatum, ADHD, Dyslexia