Many of us know James Corden as being the funnyman behind the Late Late Show, but he has recently revealed that he had some struggles at an early age. When he was younger, it was necessary to build up his confidence behind his success because of his podgier figure at school.
The 38-year-old actor told Rolling Stone during an interview that he was a target of bullying as a result of his weight. It led him to discover his humor, which he used as self-defense.
He had a difficulty scoring acting roles at a younger age because of his weight. He thought that having a larger physique was a problem that stemmed from his school days. James also revealed that finding humor and his ability to make people laugh helped him to overcome those bullies and led to his worldwide fame.
James explained: ‘If you’re big at school, you’re going to be a target. If you go to school and you’re me, you go, ”Right, I’m just going to make myself a bigger target. My confidence, it will terrify them.”
‘Inside, you’re terrified. But if you’re a bit funny, if you’re quicker than them, they won’t circle back on you again.’
This method helped him to push through the difficult times he had at school. He admitted that his weight also held him back when he was early in his acting career as well. His larger figure resulted in a number of obstacles and he found himself unable to get the roles that he really wanted.
‘Decisions when I started were only made on the way I looked.’
They were like ‘You look like this, so you will work your way to playing a bubbly judge or something.’
the actor confessed that appearance and weight can be a block in this industry but it is confidence and sticking by his guns that allowed him to push through.
He continued to Rolling Stone: ‘I think I’ve very much had times where I haven’t been the best version of myself. You have to put the time in.’
He feels that humor is his key factor to success. He rose to fame on the BBC sitcom, Gavin and Stacey, as the beloved Smithy.
It is his popularity with the Late Late Show that has really been at the height of his success. They have over 850,000 YouTube subscribers and an audience of excess of 1 million. This is thanks to his celebrity guests as well as skits, such as carpal karaoke.
A source told the Mail On Sunday: ‘James has become one of the most wanted men in Hollywood,’ a source said. ‘He has been getting all sorts of offers and CBS doesn’t want to risk losing him.
‘The plan is for a primetime variety show which showcases all his talents. The move will happen sooner rather than later. The talks started last week.’
He lives with his wife, Julia and their children in their £7.7million mansion in Brentwood, California.
Talking to Ross Kemp on ITV’s Lorraine last week, he said: ‘All credit to my wife, who agreed to move [to the US] when our daughter was five weeks old and our son was three.
‘Luckily it’s our life for the foreseeable future or until I get sacked.’
The couple have 2 children, a daughter, Carey and Max, their 4-year-old son.
You can see a young James Corden interviewing Meatloaf in this video: