Late night hosting gigs on American television are typically jobs comedians try to keep for as long as they can, but for James Corden, the situation is a lot more complicated. The British funnyman has largely been in the United States since he took Broadway by storm in 2012 with his lead role in One Man Two Guvnors, but with three younger children at home, he’s apparently started to think through where he really wants to be, at least in a physical sense.
The forty-two year old has hosted The Late Late Show on CBS since 2015 and signed a contract extension in 2019 that puts him on the air through 2023. That’s a level of job security most people in the industry don’t have, but it’s apparently one James Corden is considering giving up for his personal life. Here’s what he told The Sun…
I have a couple of years to go on this contract. Ending the show will always be a bigger family decision than a professional one. It will be about the people at home who we miss very, very much, who we are homesick for. I also feel like my wife and I have three young children, and they are three young grandchildren that we’ve taken away from people. This probably feels magnified now during the pandemic, but I have an overwhelming feeling that our family has walked to the beat of my drum for a very long time.
I don’t know the exact number of people who have questioned their career choices and the cities they live in during the pandemic, but I would estimate it to be like ninety percent of the human beings on Earth. There’s nothing quite like losing your freedom and the ability to see people to make you question what’s important and what you’re doing with your life. So, while most of us might not be able to relate to having a late night hosting gig on CBS, many of us can relate to personal lives and professional careers feeling like they’re pulling in different directions.
Corden has found success on The Late Late Show with Carpool Karaoke and other viral bits. The show has been nominated for some Emmys, and he’s also picked up plenty of acting roles during breaks in filming. It’s all gone pretty well, but neither he nor the show have ever jumped to that next level of popularity. Ratings have been fine enough. His acting gigs have mostly been of the “key support” variety. So, maybe a truly breakout moment could keep him around longer, but it sounds like, at this point in time, he’s really ready to go back across the pond.
Fortunately for Corden, he’s extremely popular in the UK. He appeared on the Gavin & Stacey Christmas Special back in 2019 to huge ratings, and his name always seems to be associated with plenty of rumors. He should have his pick of choices gigs if and when he returns back home. Two years is a long time, however, so we’ll just have to wait and see where his head is at when his contract is actually up. Until then, expect him to keep churning out viral content and showing up in the occasional movie. Here’s to hoping we get a few more gems like his excellent turn in Ocean’s 8 and maybe a few less like his turn in Cats.
