Too big for his boots? James Corden in April 2023. Photo: Getty
Listen carefully and you will hear a low rumbling sound like distant thunder. Look at the mug of tea on your table and you will see ripples on its surface. Pets are inconsolable at night. That's right, Corden's coming home. Britain's most controversial export since Puritanism has been the packing of its suitcases.
This week he leaves Los Angeles, where he has hosted The Late Late Show since 2015, to return to his homeland like a flag-laden cruiser towed up the Thames. He was in farewell mood, having hired Adele for the final edition of his popular Carpool Karaoke segment on Monday.
She's an eloquent choice: a true transatlantic superstar, admired for her talent and loved for her outspoken British way of speaking. In other words, everything Corden could have been if he hadn't been hindered by his unfortunate habit of going from James Corden, the sassy entertainer, to James Corden, the Hollywood monster, at the most inopportune moment. Talk about one man, two bosses.
It was this second version of Corden that so offended the staff of the New York restaurant Balthazar after his wife discovered a small amount of egg white in the yolk that owner Kate McNally was forced to publicly ban it. This version, whose «Ask Me Anything» segment on Reddit, was filled with people asking him if he was «a——e». This version, which, when challenged by fellow artist Jimmy Kimmel, failed to name any of the cameramen in the studio. This is the version that, according to one candid report on Popbitch, refused to help his wife with their three children throughout the entire flight home.
Individually, the charges against Corden seem minor. But they hold on because they imply traits that the British can't stand, namely being rude to staff and being too big for your boots. The story that he was overpaid is too self-confident and there, it was difficult for him to get rid of, while in America, where self-promotion is more relaxed, he lasted a surprisingly long time.
If he continues in the UK where he left off, he will be dealt with quickly. However, there is no reason why this particular version of James Corden should return. The door to national treasure status isn't as wide open as it was when he passed away, but it's not closed either. It was no coincidence that he got on The Late Late Show, one of the most prestigious performances on American television. Beginning as the lovable Timms in The History Boys, Corden has earned a reputation as one of the most promising performers, a man who can combine genuine warmth with a poignant comic moment.
He made an asset out of his size, giving hope to the dear ones. Then there was Francis Henshall in «One Man, Two Masters» in «The Return of Corden to the National» — a manifestation of the power of comic theater, which, when I saw it, the whole hall laughed, causing convulsions and flushing cheeks.
First of all, his crowning glory, Gavin & Stacey, which he wrote and co-starred with Ruth Jones. With a top-notch team of British talent — Rob Brydon, Alison Steadman, Larry Lamb — they pull off a hell of a trick: a warm, wildly popular comedy whose humor has never been violent. For all the insults Corden had thrown at him since he ended, nothing in that style could match him.
James Corden on the set of The Late Late Show with James Corden in London, 2017. Photo: Getty
Unlike the Balthazar staff, I don't want to overdo it. Corden had both professional and personal mistakes. Take Jez Butterworth's sitcom Mammals, his latest dramatic outing in which he seems to have forgotten what made it watchable. He could make himself attractive in any role except when he plays James Corden. But there is redemption in him if he can find the right path.
For some reason, he is only 44 years old, young by the standards of easy entertainment. He hasn't announced what he'll do next, but he can afford to take his time making a decision. Thanks to his work in the US, as well as his production company Fulwell 73, which releases The Kardashians among dozens of other things, Corden's net worth is estimated to be around £50 million, meaning he has no excuse for yet another lesbian vampire killer in any time. soon.
James Corden and Melia Kreiling on Amazon's Mammals. Image Credit & Copyright: PA
Perhaps he should return to the stage, where the immediacy of the performance may cancel out some of his more famous excesses. Or dive into a dark, lingering drama and let the work speak for you. Midsomer murders? Alternatively, he could make a decent documentary in which he confronts some of the traumatic events in his past: Horne & For example, Corden's sketch show.
He chose an auspicious week to take stock in Los Angeles. We have lost two of our favorite artists. One of them, Dame Edna Everage, was a monstrous diva, a 200-pound pile of selfishness in a flamboyant ball gown. Barry Humphries' greatest creation was effective because she was so close to the people she sent up. She could be visiting real celebrities and not seem out of place. The other was Len Goodman, an almost universally beloved artist who could bring a touch of flavor to anything he liked.
As James Corden sits in his first class chair back at Heathrow, he should think about both of their examples.
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