James Corden Biography

JAMES CORDEN

Date of Birth: August 22, 1978

James Corden has had a prolific career as an actor in film, television and onstage. Born in London to parents Malcolm and Margaret Corden, he grew up in Buckinghamshire with his two sisters Andrea and Ruth. James knew early on he wanted to be an actor, studying drama at the Jackie Palmer Stage School.

James appeared in a small budget film and made a guest appearance on the TV series Renford Rejects before landing a regular role on the Channel 4 comedy series Boyz Unlimited, about a boy band, which ran for just one season in 1999. His next starring role on a TV series came in Teachers, from 2001 to 2003. His role as Jaimie on Yorkshire Television’s drama series Fat Friends, led to a Newcomer on Screen nomination from the Royal Television Society.

James went on to originate the role of Timms in the British play The History Boys, which he played in London and on tour on-and-off from 2004 to 2007, as well as in the film version, alongside the late Richard Griffiths.

In 2007 James co-wrote and starred in the British comedy series Gavin & Stacey, which led to him winning a 2008 BAFTA for Best Male Comedy Performance. His work outside of Gavin & Stacey had mixed success, as he starred in mediocre films such as Vampire Killers and Gulliver’s Travels, and also worked as a host for award shows and as a panelist on British reality television. Doctor Who fans will remember him as two-time guest star Craig Owens.

James returned to the West End stage in 2011, playing Francis Henshall in One Man, Two Guvnors, then went on to play the role on Broadway, which led to his first Tony award for Best Actor in a Play in 2012. Since then his career has gained momentum, earning him roles in films like Begin Again, One Chance, and Into the Woods, in which he stars alongside Meryl Streep and Johnny Depp.

In 2014 it was announced that James would replace Craig Ferguson as the host of the Late, Late Show on CBS in early 2015. His "Carpool Karaoke" sketch, featuring singers carpooling with him while belting out their hit songs, has become a favorite.

In 2018 James lent his voice to several films: the animated children's film Smallfoot(2018) as Percy Patterson, the comedy Ralph Breaks the Internet(2018) and the voice of the titular cheeky character in Peter Rabbit (2018).

He also played himself in the box office hit Yesterday (2019), played the role of Bustopher Jones in the movie version of the Broadway hit Cats (2019), returned to his role as Smithy for Gavin & Stacey: A Special Christmas (2019) and reprised his voice role for the animated sequel, Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (2021).

James was in a relationship with his Gavin & Stacey co-star Sheridan Smith before splitting in 2009. His old roommate and co-star, Dominic Cooper, introduced him to Julia Carey, whom he married in 2012. The couple have three children together: a son Max and two daughters, Carey and Charlotte.

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