Channing Tatum on Parenting Challenges

As a dad, Channing Tatum is always willing to step up to the challenge.

That’s why the actor—who shares 12-year-old daughter Everly with ex-wife Jenna Dewan—completely understands the complexities behind his father figure character in Josephine.

“Parenting is hard and it changes day-to-day,” he exclusively told E! News’ Will Marfuggi at the movie’s Sundance Film Festival premiere on Jan. 23. “Sometimes you have to be the tough parent, and then other times, you need to be their soft buddy where you just love ’em and that’s it.”

But when it came to taking on the role of Damien in the Beth de Araújo-directed thriller, Channing, 45, didn’t draw solely from his own parenting playbook.

“It’s a different character than I am in my life,” he explained. “I took a lot from my own dad in away. I think [Damien] is a bit of a mix between myself and my dad.”

Another conundrum he’s faced in his parenthood journey? Not being “cool” enough for his tween daughter, who he said has seen “tons” of his movies but remains unimpressed.

“She’s like, ‘Whatever, I don’t wanna see those,'” he told E! last year. “She acts like she doesn’t care.”