James Corden has one of the top late night shows in the country, including a segment, Carpool Karaoke, that springs viral videos on a weekly basis. And this Sunday, the Late Late Show host will be dominating a major new venue: The 2017 Grammy Awards.
But the actor-comedian wasn't always pulling down such big roles. In fact, at the start of his career, Corden's opportunities were extremely limited. Why? His looks, he says.
In a new interview with Esquire, the cover star talks about discouraging experiences early in his career. After his first big role in a play on London's West End, Corden watched the offers pour in — for his co-stars. "When The History Boys became the hottest play in London," the Brit told the magazine, "there were eight boys of a similar age, and they were all getting these massive film scripts. And I would get the one page of a script for a guy who drops off a television to Hugh Grant, or who works at a newsstand and sells a paper to Julianne Moore."
He continued, "And I was like, 'None of this is based on ability or charisma. It's only about how I look, and about the assumption that people who look like that don't fall in love in as nice a way as others. People who look like that are not as interesting.'"
Corden makes a great point, and it's rare to hear actors — especially men — open up about being judged and discounted because of the way they look. In the end, the hilarious and charismatic Corden's career is proof that talent and hard work can win out.
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