Whether you’ve watched ‘Step Up,’ ‘21 Jump Street,’ or other Hollywood movies, chances are you know a little bit about the actor Channing Tatum. His goofy personality, good looks, and fun roles helped him earn a name for himself, but nothing did more for his career than the character he played in the ‘Magic Mike’ films.
Since then, he’s certainly stood out, but an Australian man has also capitalized on this fame because people consider him Channing Tatum’s doppelganger. What’s even more interesting about him is that his life story makes him almost a real-life Magic Mike, which is certainly ironic.
Even though Will Parfitt now has a huge following under his belt, he was also once just an average Joe
Parfitt’s life gained even more momentum after he decided to launch a dance troupe
He was born on 23rd June, 1990, in London, England, and was raised somewhere between Somerset and Kent. he used to work in a supermarket in the United Kingdom stacking shelves, and eventually, in his twenties, he relocated to Australia.
One day, in 2015, when he was out with his best friend Danny in Melbourne, a random person pointed out his uncanny resemblance to Channing Tatum. A nightclub promoter then offered him the chance to earn more money by capitalizing on that unique look, which led him into the world of exotic dancing.
During the pandemic, when opportunities to perform dropped drastically, Will decided to make the most of his time by posting content on TikTok. From there, he gained many followers who also noticed his resemblance to the star, which helped him attract a fanbase of 9 million people, more than his supposed doppelganger.
After working in exotic dancing for a while, he saw its potential and decided to go into business with someone he worked with at a club. They launched a dance team called ‘Magic Men,’ which now tours the globe and performs to sold-out shows whenever they go.
Will also said he never expected to take up this line of work, but he stumbled upon it, and it worked out for him. His business also earned the title of ‘Australia’s Most Lavish Ladies Night Out’ because of all the events and popularity. Even in the pandemic, they started doing virtual dance shows, which had a lot of viewers.
Will has become very popular with the ladies, who recognize him from dances, his TikTok, and even a show
Even though he’s still single, Parfitt has been dealing with women fangirling over him, and what’s interesting is that he isn’t recognized for being Channing Tatum’s lookalike, but for his own merit.
What gave him even more publicity was his appearance as a groomsman on ‘Married at First Sight Australia’ in 2026. The producers introduced him as someone more accustomed to hen nights than weddings, which stood out to the audience.
Despite his resemblance to Channing Tatum, the exotic dancer has never met his lookalike in real life
Will explained that there have been some ‘almost interactions,’ like when a journalist showed the actor a photo of him while on the red carpet and asked if he knew his doppelganger. Channing Tatum did, in fact, know Parfitt and had seen the video before. Even though the two have never met, that strong resemblance has clearly paid off for the dancer and propelled his career.
The only thing he struggles with, as he's told his fans, is that romance scammers have been exploiting his image to con some of his followers. That’s why, in March 2024, he issued a direct warning to his audience to watch for fakes and not send any money to a dodgy-looking account.
It’s intriguing to think that somewhere out there your doppelganger could just be going about their day
According to Britannica, most folks believe that we all have a twin or lookalike somewhere in the world. These strangers might share quite a lot of similar features with us, so much so that if we were standing together, folks might remark about the resemblance. This is what's called a doppelganger, from a German word with a similar spelling meaning “double goer.”
Despite how common it’s made out to be in movies, shows, and books, Australian researchers found that there’s only a one-in-a-trillion chance that someone out there looks exactly like you. That shows how hard it can be to find features, characteristics, and expressions that truly match someone else.
Just like there are so many celebrity lookalikes, we might also find our own doppelgangers if we lower our standards of perfection a bit. Most folks might have a couple of similar features, but their ears, nose, mouth, eyes, and smile might not line up perfectly.
Interestingly, even though it’s hard to find someone who is truly just like us, Smithsonian Magazine explains that folks who look similar also share common genetic variation. Research on pairs of lookalikes found that they shared many single nucleotide polymorphisms. Making them almost ‘virtual’ twins.
There’s something so fascinating about sharing genetic makeup with a person who resembles you
Although popular culture has made doppelgangers out to be some kind of eerie or terrifying thing, there’s definitely an element of shock and awe attached to it. In our 8.3 billion, there’s definitely a possibility that we might look just like someone else, but actually seeing them in real life can be a whole other thing.
Hopefully Will ends up meeting Channing Tatum someday and gets a chance to tell him just how much like Magic Mike he truly is. That might be the most exciting moment for them both, don’t you think?
Are there any celebrity doppelgangers you know about? Do share some examples in the comments below and let us know what you think of this story.
Check out this video to see what life is truly like for Will Parfitt and how fame has impacted him
Folks were divided about the resemblance, with some thinking they’re nothing alike, others calling them twins, and a few calling Will better-looking
