The new rom-com Puppy Love stars human actors Lucy Hale and Grant Gustin. Gustin plays Max, who has a King Cavalier Charles Spaniel named Chloe. Hale plays Nicole, who had a mixed-breed dog named Channing Tatum. Without any big spoilers, the dogs hit it off way better than their parents…
In case you were confused or just wishing it was true, no, the dog isn’t played or even voiced by Channing Tatum. Max the dog is played by a female canine actor named Fancy Pants. But here’s a quick photoshop of what the multiverse version of Puppy Love might look like:
Hale shared that before settling on Channing Tatum, they considered names such as Mutt Damon, Kanye Westie, and Mark Ruffalo. The original script also called for an all-white dog named Walter White, after Bryan Cranston’s legendary role in Breaking Bad.
Lucy Hale was interviewed by TV Insider and shared that while not actually Channing Tatum, the dog actor Fancy Pants was apparently as talented and a pleasure to work with as the human she was named after.
These dogs are so well-trained. It’s pretty crazy, actually. Specifically, Nicole’s dog is [played onscreen by] Fancypants, and Fancypants is a star within the canine film world. Fancy’s been in commercials and movies, is smart, and has actual human expressions. So, they were very well-behaved.
Lucy Hale, TV Insider, August 2023
For an incredible story of a canine Hollywood icon, check out the story of Moose, the rescue dog who played Eddie on Frasier – From abandoned to millionaire and fan favorite.