Michael Strahan Among Latest Drafted for Stripper Sequel 'Magic Mike XXL'

Michael Strahan has won over the morning masses as Kelly Ripa’s talk show co-host on Live! And now the former Giants great is adding another line to his résumé: scantily-clad movie star.

The NFL Hall of Famer announced this morning on Live! With Kelly and Michael that he will be making an appearance in the upcoming sequel Magic Mike XXL — apparently as one of star Channing Tatum’s fellow strippers. The surprising casting comes after repeat appearances by Tatum on the show where he (presumably jokingly) asked Strahan if he’d appear in the sequel to the 2012 hit. Also announced today were two other high-profile cast additions, Elizabeth Banks and Donald Glover.

Strahan, however, brought the most fanfare. “I’m getting ready to do something that’s making me really nervous,” Strahan confessed on Live!, which you can watch in the video above. “Oh your nude scene?” Ripa countered. The pair then cut to clips from Tatum’s various appearances on the show, including one where Tatum and Strahan bust some serious dance moves in tandem and another where Strahan ripped his tearaway pants off and then gyrated on the stage floor.

Tatum and the boys in the original ‘Magic Mike’

Strahan said that Tatum (who co-wrote the film along with Reid Carolin) made good on his threat and actually penned the host a role in the script for XXL, which began principle production yesterday and will hit theaters July 1, 2015.

Magic Mike XXL, which follows Tatum’s Michael Lane and company on a road trip from Tampa Bay to a stripper convention in Myrtle Beach, is quickly becoming an XXL ensemble. Fans were disappointed to learn that Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey would not be returning. But Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Kevin Nash, Adam Rodriguez, and Gabriel Iglesias are all reprising their roles from the original. They’ll be joined by a trio of powerful ladies, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Amber Heard and Andie MacDowell.

As for Strahan, he’s already had some serious conversations about his movie debut. “The wardrobe guy called me the other day,” he explained. “And after the conversation, I said, ‘Why did he even bother to call me to talk about wardrobe? ‘Cause apparently there ain’t nothing to be worn!’”

Photo credit: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP