James Corden

James Corden - Quick Facts

Profile Overview of James Corden

James Kimberley Corden (born 22 August 1978) is an English actor, comedian, writer, producer, singer, and television host. In the United Kingdom, he is best known for co-writing and starring in the critically acclaimed BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey. In the United States, he gained recognition as the host of The Late Late Show with James Corden, a late-night talk show that aired on CBS from 2015 to 2023.

This profile of James Corden covers Early Life and Family Background, Early Career and Breakthrough, 2007–2010: Gavin & Stacey and rise to prominence, 2011–2014: One Man, Two Guvnors and 2015–2023: The Late Late Show and stardom.

Originally airing from 2007 to 2010, Corden co-wrote and co-starred with Welsh actress Ruth Jones in Gavin & Stacey, for which he won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Comedy Performance. He was featured, along with grime artist Dizzee Rascal, on the UK number one single "Shout". Corden created his Carpool Karaoke sketch in 2011. He hosted the Brit Awards (2009, 2011 and 2014), the Tony Awards (2016 and 2019), and the Grammy Awards (2017 and 2018). From 2010 to 2019, he presented the panel show A League of Their Own on Sky One.

Corden has acted in films, including Gulliver's Travels (2010), Kill Your Friends (2015), and Peter Rabbit (2018) and its 2021 sequel (in which he voiced the title character). He also acted in the musical films Into the Woods (2014), Cats (2019), The Prom (2020), and Cinderella (2021).

In 2011, Corden starred in the National Theatre show One Man, Two Guvnors, which transferred from the West End to Broadway, where Corden won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. In 2015, he received the BAFTA Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year. Corden has been nominated for 29 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning 12 in total, including for The Late Late Show, Carpool Karaoke, and hosting the 70th Tony Awards. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2015 New Year Honours for services to drama.

Early Life and Family Background of James Corden

Corden was born in Hillingdon, Greater London, the son of Margaret and Malcolm Corden. His father was a musician in the Central Band of the Royal Air Force, and later became a salesman of Christian books and Bibles. Corden's mother was a social worker. He grew up in Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire, and attended Park Middle School and Holmer Green Upper School. He has two sisters.

Early Career and Breakthrough of James Corden

Corden's first stage appearance was at the age of 18, with a one-line part in the 1996 musical Martin Guerre. His first TV reporter role was on the BBC's Good Morning with Anne and Nick, interviewing Meat Loaf. His early television work included Gareth Jones in the 1999 series Boyz Unlimited. He also starred in Tango advertisements in 1998, had a role as a bookish student in Teachers, and in 2000 had a small part in an episode of Hollyoaks. Corden had guest appearances on Little Britain and Dalziel and Pascoe, both in 2004. Corden's early film credits include Whatever Happened to Harold Smith? (1999), Mike Leigh's All or Nothing (2002), Heartlands (2002), and Cruise of the Gods (2002).

From 2000 to 2005, Corden starred on the British television series Fat Friends as Jamie Rymer. He garnered a nomination for the 2000 Royal Television Society Award for Network Newcomer On Screen for his work. Beginning in 2004, Corden played the role of Timms in the original London stage production of Alan Bennett's play The History Boys, as well as in the Broadway, Sydney, Wellington, and Hong Kong productions. He was also in the radio and 2006 film adaptation versions of the play. In 2006, he appeared in the film Starter for 10.

2007–2010: Gavin & Stacey and rise to prominence

From 2007 to 2010, Corden co-starred in his own series, the BBC Three sitcom Gavin & Stacey. He co-wrote the series with his Fat Friends co-star Ruth Jones; Corden and Jones played the friends of the title characters, with Corden starring as Smithy. The series proved popular and was well-received critically. For the show, Corden won Best Male Comedy Performer and Gavin & Stacey won Best New British Television Comedy at the 2007 British Comedy Awards. At the 2008 Television BAFTAs, Corden won the BAFTA for Best Male Comedy Performance, and Gavin & Stacey won the BAFTA's Audience Award for Programme of the Year. In December 2008, the show won Best TV Comedy in the 2008 British Comedy Awards. Gavin & Stacey also won the award for Most Popular Comedy Programme at the National Television Awards in 2010. In 2019, Gavin & Stacey returned for a Christmas special, which achieved the highest Christmas Day viewership in the UK for more than a decade.

During the two year and seven months run of Gavin & Stacey, Corden's professional endeavours outside the successful series proved somewhat chequered. He guest hosted Big Brother's Big Mouth, with Gavin & Stacey co-star Mathew Horne, in August 2007. In 2008, he appeared in the film of Toby Young's 2001 autobiography How to Lose Friends & Alienate People. He collaborated again with Horne on a 2009 sketch show named Horne & Corden, described by the BBC as a "traditional comedy entertainment show in the style of Morecambe and Wise". The show ran for only one series and was poorly received by the critics, with Corden later admitting "the absolute truth is I wasn't good enough."

In 2009, Corden starred in the film Lesbian Vampire Killers, which was unsuccessful. That year he played Clem Cattini in the Joe Meek biopic Telstar, and likewise in the animated Planet 51 along with Mathew Horne. In February 2009, he co-presented the Brit Awards with Horne and Kylie Minogue. In March 2009, he appeared in a sketch for the UK charity telethon Comic Relief giving the England football team a motivational talk, and later presented a section with Horne showing their best bits of comedy from the previous two years along with highlights from the night.

In March 2010, Corden began hosting the Sky 1 comedy/sports panel show A League of Their Own alongside team captains Andrew Flintoff and Jamie Redknapp. In March 2010, he presented Sport Relief 2010 alongside Davina McCall and others, contributing a "sequel" to the 2009 England football team sketch, this time giving a motivational talk to various sports stars including David Beckham and motor racing driver Jenson Button.

In March 2010, Corden took part in Channel 4's Comedy Gala, a benefit show held in aid of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, filmed live at the O2 Arena in London. On 5 June 2010, he performed his England World Cup single with Dizzee Rascal on the finale of Britain's Got Talent. The proceeds from the single went to London's Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Source: adapted from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Corden), text available under CC BY-SA 4.0.