Channing Tatum is still describing one of his most awkward on-set memories — the near-nude “leech” scene from the 2022 adventure comedy The Lost City — as something of a “fever dream.” He revisited the moment during a recent interview, explaining that the sequence (shot early in his time on the set) involved him being almost completely naked, wearing only a modesty sock while Sandra Bullock performed a long monologue and “plucked” fake leeches off his backside. (People). People.com

Tatum said the surreal quality came from the combination of being exposed in front of a room full of people and the odd business of Bullock delivering a dramatic monologue while removing the prop leeches. He told the interviewer the whole thing felt like “a fever dream” — an experience made easier, he added, by the fact that he and Bullock are friends and had a level of trust from the start. (TheWrap; People). TheWrap+1

Bullock has talked about the scene before, telling The Late Show that Tatum was “stupid naked” for the shot and confirming that the leeches and other close-up elements were not CGI. She framed the sequence as comic rather than exploitative and said the actors relied on humour and professionalism — and standard closed-set modesty practices — to get through it. (Unilad; People). UNILAD+1

The exchange has generated renewed coverage because Tatum was promoting new work and reflecting on memorable career moments; he’s currently starring in the forthcoming film Roofman, which has its own intense scenes and further highlights why actors sometimes have to lean into uncomfortable logistics for a shot. (EW; People). EW.com+1

What this episode also underlines is how movie sets manage nudity and actor comfort. Productions typically use closed sets, modesty garments (like the “sock” Tatum mentioned), careful blocking, and rehearsals to limit exposure and embarrassment — and both actors stressed their mutual trust and the professional environment made the bit survivable (and, for audiences, memorably funny). Industry interviews and behind-the-scenes accounts of similar scenes often point to those same safeguards as routine. (TheWrap; Unilad). TheWrap+1

Bottom line: the leech scene lives on as one of The Lost City’s most talked-about moments because it married physical comedy, a surprising visual gag and big-name chemistry — plus the frank, funny way both Tatum and Bullock have recounted the shoot since. If you missed the clip originally, both actors’ recent interviews give a sense of how odd and oddly affectionate the moment really was. (People; TheWrap). People.com+1