A Melbourne-based stripper is turning heads — and making a lot of money — due to his uncanny resemblance to Hollywood heart-throb Channing Tatum.
You would be forgiven for thinking this Melbourne-based stripper was Hollywood heart-throb Channing Tatum.
Will Parfitt, originally from London, has gained millions of followers on social media through his uncanny resemblance to the star — and he’s also made a fortune along the way.
The British-born performer has been living in Melbourne since 2015 when he was approached by a club promoter during a night out.
He was backpacking throughout Australia at the time and decided to take the promoter up on his offer to pocket a few extra dollars.
But little did he know his life was about to make an “unexpected” turn.
“I was at a nightclub and this guy came up to me and started to joke that I look like Channing Tatum,” Will told news.com.au
“Then I ended up bumping into a guy who owned (male stripping company) Magic Men and he asked me if I had ever done any topless waiting.
“I never looked at doing anything in the industry but when you are travelling you say yes to anything — so I thought I would give it a go.”
Will started out as a topless waiter before realising there was a huge demand from women requesting “the Channing lookalike” on the company’s website.
“And that’s how I started doing Magic Men shows as a stripper,” he said.
“It was only a tiny show to start with — it felt like a dingy strip club — but now it has blown up with thousands of shows.
“It’s crazy how much it has grown, all because of social media.”
Will, who has 16.4 million ‘likes’ on his TikTok videos, began doing short clips posing in various stripper uniforms, teasing followers with shirtless performances.
His posts have attracted thousands of comments from women claiming he is Channing’s “twin”.
“You make Channing Tatum look like the Wish version,” one fan joked.
“You are definitely more attractive than Channing Tatum,” said another, while a third added: “You could be his twin“.
But a humble Will joked that he just doesn’t see the resemblance.
“People who know me, my friends, say ‘I don’t know why people say that’,” he laughed.
“Sometimes fans do side-by-side pictures or videos of Channing and I and I’ll admit sometimes, in certain photos, we do look similar.
“I guess if you don’t know someone and you see them for the first time — especially because I am in the same industry Channing became famous for (Magic Mike movie), when people book me for shows they expect a ‘Channing’ to turn up.”
And having a slight resemblance helps, whether he cares to admit it or not.
“It’s worked so well for me, so I can’t complain,” he said.
And that it has with the 31-year-old going on to co-own Magic Men, making close to $1 million through the thousands of shows they’ve sold, his recently released sex toys and virtual performances throughout lockdown.
In fact, those shows alone, together with his merchandise has earned him about $4000 a week.
“Once the pandemic hit last year, the industry went dead, (so) we began to do private virtual shows and basically at first we had just 50 girls logging on, then it hit 100, then about 200.
“We were running it from Instagram, like an Instagram Live from our homes.”
But once restrictions eased, the men got together to do the private shows from the strip club.
“When you go back into lockdown it makes you realise how much fun it is and how much I have missed being on stage,” Will told news.com.au.
“It’s such a buzz, especially working with the guys, which is like a friendship group now.”
Will said in order to perfect his craft, especially when doing his most famous and requested show — Magic Mike — he had to study the movie to learn Channing’s moves.
“Most of the guys use a lot of moves out of the movie. I definitely did, especially the one where Channing is wearing a tracksuit, bandana and cap.”
His shows runs for 20 to 30 minutes during which he will strip down to a G-string, or if it’s been requested, the full monty.
And if his social media is anything to go by, it’s no surprise the ladies go wild for Will.
Some have even described him as “the best looking man they have ever seen”.
One thing is for sure, once lockdown restrictions are lifted in Melbourne, we know where the ladies will be heading.
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