Channing Tatum: A Lover, Not a Fighter

By Steve Helling

04/20/2009 at 01:30 PM EDT

Channing Tatum hits theaters this Friday in his new film, Fighting, but he says he's not really the type to settle things with his fists.

When asked – in an interview with WPIX in New York Monday – what he'd do if he ran into a sinister person in a dark corner, Tatum said he wouldn't be brave, despite his training in the martial arts. "I'd probably run, more than likely," he said. Then, referring to his signature role in the film Step Up, he joked, "Or I'd be like, 'Wanna dance? Let's have a dance off!' "

Tatum, who also stars in the upcoming G.I. Joe, says that his personal life isn't like an action movie. His perfect days involve quietly hanging out by the pool. Even the paparazzi steers clear of him. "They kind of leave me alone. I really appreciate it," he says, "I don't hang out very much in those big public places where a lot of people go."

And Tatum has big plans for his 29th birthday on Sunday. "I'm just going to be praying that [the movie] does well," he laughed, before saying that he'll fly back to his home state of Alabama. If the film does well, Tatum says he wants to "fly in all the people who haven't seen how amazingly country my family is in Alabama."

He may be country, but he doesn't kiss and tell. When asked about his engagement to actress Jenna Dewan, the down-to-earth guy would only say, "I'm very, very happy right now."