James Corden Now & Then: See The Late Night Host From The Start

By:
December 28, 2021 4:36PM EST

James Corden has been on a roll since crossing the pond to host CBS’s “The Late Late Show” in 2015. Click through to check out James Corden from his early days as an actor in England to his days as a late-night champion!

1 of 15

James Corden Through The Years: See The Late Night Host Since His Start

James Corden Through The Years: See The Late Night Host Since His Start
Shutterstock

James Corden has been on a roll since crossing the pond, becoming one of late-night TV’s favorite hosts since arriving at CBS in 2015. The English transplant rose to fame with his hit British sitcom ‘Gavin & Stacey’ in the late 2000s. Around the same time, he came up with the concept for the ever-beloved ‘Carpool Karaoke’. James began his run on ‘The Late Late Show’ in Mar. 2015, taking the reigns from Craig Ferguson.

The 22-time Emmy nominee has also appeared in films like ‘Into the Woods’ (2014), ‘Peter Rabbit (2018)’, the notorious adaptation of ‘Cats’ (2019), and ‘The Prom’ (2020), for which he received his first Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor.

In addition to his success in film and TV, James is a husband and father of three.

Check out James Corden from his early days as a comic in England to his days as a late-night champion. Click through for more.

December 28, 2021, 1:35PM
2 of 15

James Corden & Julia Carey At The 2021 LACMA: Art + Film Gala

James Corden & Julia Carey At The 2021 LACMA: Art + Film Gala
AFF-USA/Shutterstock

James Corden wraps his arm around wife of nine-years Julia Carey at the LACMA: Art + Film Gala in LA on Nov. 6, 2021.

The couple was dressed to the nines, with her rocking a cream-hued Gucci gown with a green satin belt and black lace bodice while he matched in a pea-hued jacket with a bow-tie and black slacks, also Gucci.

December 28, 2021, 1:31PM
3 of 15

James Corden & Julia Carey At The 2021 Met Gala

James Corden & Julia Carey At The 2021 Met Gala
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP/Shutte

James Corden looks sharp as he wraps his arm around wife Julia Carey at the 2021 Met Gala on Sep. 13.

The evening was celebrating the opening of the “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” exhibition. She glittered in silver, beaded Gucci with a sassy ponytail and slinky stilettos while he went for a classic tuxedo and slicked hair.

December 28, 2021, 1:31PM
4 of 15

James Corden & Julia Carey At Tom Ford’s Fall 2020 Fashion Show

James Corden & Julia Carey At Tom Ford’s Fall 2020 Fashion Show
Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shut

Julia Carey and James Corden arrive at the Tom Ford’s Fall 2020 fashion show in Hollywood on Feb. 7, 2020. The couple was dressed for the evening looking sophisticated in dark silhouettes.

James opened up about dropping 28lbs in a Dec. 2021 interview with People. “I am down 28 pounds since the start of the year, and for the first time, the weight I’ve lost hasn’t come back,” he said, crediting Weight Watchers. “It’s game-changing and I feel incredible.”

He also joked, “I love that my clothes fit better, but I just love ice cream a little bit more than that.”

December 28, 2021, 1:35PM
5 of 15

James Corden Enjoys The Beach

James Corden Enjoys The Beach
APEX / MEGA

James Corden takes off his shoes and enjoys the beach sand during a day out with his family. He wore swim shorts and a long sleeve shirt.

James said it took a while for him to transform his eating habits. He told BBC Radio 2’s The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show in May 2021, “You’re not going on a diet. You’re gonna change the way you eat. And you’re gonna change the way you eat forever. Just see this as: This is how you eat now.”

December 28, 2021, 1:28PM
6 of 15

James Corden At The World Premiere Of ‘Cats’

James Corden At The World Premiere Of ‘Cats’
Gregory Pace/Shutterstock

James Corden is stylish in plaid during the world premiere of ‘Cats’ in New York on Dec. 16, 2019. 

‘Cats’ — which also featured Judi Dench, Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, Taylor Swift, and Rebel Wilson — was slammed after its release.

James was asked if he regretted making the box office bomb during a Feb. 2020 episode of his show with Justin Bieber. He explained on a scale of one-to-10, “So, 1 is the least and 10 is the most, Well, here’s the thing, I had the loveliest time making that film.”

He went on, “It took me six days and I loved every single second of it. So, I think you’ve got to be careful not to… you’ve got to decide things on your own personal experience, and I had a really great time. So, I don’t regret doing it at all because I decided to do it in the same way I decided to do many things. Some have worked, some haven’t. So, I’m gonna put it at a solid 5… 4.5, 4.5.”

December 28, 2021, 1:28PM
7 of 15

James Corden Out In L.A. In 2019

James Corden Out In L.A. In 2019
Broadimage/Shutterstock

James Corden has some pep in his step as he takes a stroll around his LA neighborhood on Oct. 14, 2019. Looking active, he was in grey sweats and carried a water bottle.

December 28, 2021, 1:28PM
8 of 15

James Corden At The British Academy Television Awards In 2015

James Corden At The British Academy Television Awards In 2015
Ray Tang/Shutterstock

James Corden proves he cleans up nicely at the House of Fraser British Academy Television Awards at Grosvenor House in London on May 10, 2015.

James talked about how bigger people are portrayed in Hollywood in an interview with The New Yorker in Jan. 2020. He said, “If someone came from another planet and put on the television, you would think that people who are big or overweight don’t have s**.”

He went on, “They don’t fall in love. They’re friends of people who fall in love. They’re probably not that bright, but they’re a good time, and they’re not as valuable as people who are really good-looking.”

December 28, 2021, 1:28PM
9 of 15

James Corden At BBC Radio 1 Studios In 2014

James Corden At BBC Radio 1 Studios In 2014
Shutterstock

James Corden keeps a low profile as he leaves BBC Radio 1 Studios in London on Dec. 15, 2014.

James didn’t have much chat show experience when he took over “The Late Late Show” on CBS in 2015. He was convinced he wouldn’t keep the gig, telling Mr. Porter in 2016, “I was so convinced it wouldn’t work that we rented all our furniture for a year. I mean, I’ve never hosted a chat show before. I’m not a stand-up. I’m not even a sketch comedian.”

December 28, 2021, 1:28PM
10 of 15

James Corden On ‘The Jonathan Ross Show’ In 2014

James Corden On ‘The Jonathan Ross Show’ In 2014
Brian J Ritchie/Hot Sauce/Shutte

James Corden suits up for an episode of ‘The Jonathan Ross Show’ in London in Feb. 2014. During the chat show he looked sharp in a black three-piece ensemble.

James called out Bill Maher for going on a fat-phobic rant in 2019. He said, “There’s a common and insulting misconception that fat people are stupid and lazy. We’re not. We get it, we know. We know that being overweight isn’t good for us. I’ve struggled my entire life trying to manage my weight.”

Slamming the critic, he said, “We’re not all as lucky as Bill Maher. We don’t all have a sense of superiority that burns 35,000 calories a day.”

Later, James added, “Let’s be honest, fat-shaming is just bullying. I’’s bullying, and bullying only makes the problem worse.”

December 28, 2021, 1:28PM
11 of 15

James Corden At The Brit Awards In 2013

James Corden At The Brit Awards In 2013
Richard Young/Shutterstock

James Corden is handsome in velvet at the Brit Awards in London on Feb. 20, 2013.

Though he’s tried to keep level-headed through the years, James admitted to getting a bit of an ego when he first became famous. Talking to The New Yorker in Jan. 2020, he said, “I started to behave like a brat that I just don’t think I am. It’s so intoxicating, that first flush of fame. And I think it’s even more intoxicating if you’re not bred for it.”

December 28, 2021, 1:28PM
12 of 15

James Corden On Stage During ‘One Man, Two Guvnors’ In 2011

James Corden On Stage During ‘One Man, Two Guvnors’ In 2011
Dan Wooller/Shutterstock

James Corden dream of being on the West End came true in 2011. He’s seen playing the character of Francis Henshall in the play ‘One Man, Two Guvnors’ during its press night on Nov. 21, 2011 on London’s West End.

Talking about his dreams of being on stage with the UK’s The Times back in 2011, James said, “All the things I’m doing now – being in this play, writing a TV show – I just dreamt of them all the time. When I was at school people would say you have to have something to fall back on.

“And I would think, well, if I’m even considering falling back on something I’m considering not doing it. Considering giving up, basically. And that just never felt like an option to me. Ever.”

December 28, 2021, 1:28PM
13 of 15

James Corden At The Glamour Woman Of The Year Awards In 2010

James Corden At The Glamour Woman Of The Year Awards In 2010
James Mccauley/Shutterstock

James Corden attends the Glamour Woman Of The Year Awards in London, English on Jun. 8, 2010. He was a blend of casual in his dark suit and shirt worn sans-tie.

December 28, 2021, 1:28PM
14 of 15

James Corden Out In North London In 2010

James Corden Out In North London In 2010
Beretta/Sims/Shutterstock

A baby-faced James Corden fetches lunch with friend Dominic Cooper at a little cafe in north London on Aug. 17, 2010. He was bundled up in a hoodie with comfy jeans.

James once explained how he overcame bullies when he was younger, saying, “You can either hope and pray you don’t get picked on, or you can, in a way, almost make yourself a bigger target, because it’s harder to bully something that’s really big. It’s easy to bully something that’s small and frail.”t

December 28, 2021, 1:28PM
15 of 15

James Corden At The 2008 British Academy Television Awards

James Corden At The 2008 British Academy Television Awards
David Fisher/Shutterstock

James Corden attends the British Academy Television Awards on Apr. 20, 2008. 

The star talked about how he can be misread as arrogant with The Guardian in 2011. “This arrogance thing,” he said. “I’ve had that my whole life. I flip between, ‘Oh really? Oh, thank you. Wow. That’s amazing’ and, ‘Yeah! Of course I am.’ They’re both varying degrees of a self-defence mechanism. It can be from minute to minute that I change.

“I was talking to my mates and my friend Dodge, who I hadn’t seen for ages, said, ‘You really haven’t changed.’ I said, ‘In what way?’ And he said, ‘You know, being famous.’ Then my friend who lived over the road from when I was four said, ‘James has always thought he was famous.’ I think he’s probably right.”

December 28, 2021, 1:28PM