By Wonderwall.com Editors
8:17am PDT, Jun 5, 2019
"The Late Late Show" host James Corden will be pulling double duty this month when he hosts the 73rd Annual Tony Awards on June 9, 2019. We know him best from his show and interactions with some of the biggest names in music during his "Carpool Karaoke" segments, but Wonderwall.com is digging up some more facts about the man behind the laughs so we can get to know him better as we celebrate his second Tonys gig. Keep reading to check out 15 things you probably didn't know about James (but should)!
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1. He received a prestigious honor from Time magazine
James Corden got a pretty big nod from Time magazine in 2016 when he was named one of the 30 most influential people on the internet! His "Carpool Karaoke" segments hit more than a billion views on YouTube that year. James explained to Deadline how they came up with the concept. "We understood that for our show to reach the biggest audience it can, we have to embrace the internet," he said. "And we knew that from minute one, we had to find moments and segments that people would watch and share online." And boy did that strategy work!
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2. He's a married man
Sorry ladies, but he's taken! James Corden met Julia Carey back in 2010 when they were introduced by his former roommate, Dominic Cooper. They ended up tying the knot two years later in September 2012.
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3. He's also a proud father
James Corden has three children with wife Julia Carey: son Max (born in 2011) and daughters Carey (born in 2014) and Charlotte (born in 2017). He moved his young family from England to Los Angeles in 2014 after taking over hosting duties on "The Late Late Show" and asked pal David Beckham for tips on how to raise children in California while maintaining their British sensibilities!
4. He has a surprising middle name
A fun fact about James Corden? You'd never be able to guess his middle name! The hilarious host's middle moniker is traditionally a woman's name — Kimberly. But there's a sweet reason behind it. "Literally every man in my family has it — it's a tradition," he once told Heat magazine.
5. He's not a hosting newbie
He's no stranger to hosting award shows! And he's not even new to the Tony Awards! James Corden first hosted the Tonys in New York City back in June 2016 — it marked the first time he'd taken on presenting duties for an American award show. Even cooler than being a veteran host? This next fact…
6. He's a Tony winner
James Corden hasn't just hosted the Tony Awards — he's won a Tony too! The star nabbed one of the coveted trophies for his lead performance in the Broadway play "One Man, Two Guvnors" in June 2012. At the time, he and Julia Carey weren't yet married, but he dedicated his award to her, stating, "My girlfriend, Julia, gave birth to our son five days before we started rehearsals. She is my baby mama and I can't wait to marry her." He reiterated, "Seriously, I would not be holding this if it wasn't for her. She made me say 'us' instead of 'I' and 'we' instead of 'me' and I love her. Thank you very much."
7. A certain star made him nervous
Of all the stars James Corden has had the pleasure of meeting, who made him the most nervous? When doing Vogue's "73 questions" video series in June 2016, he had a very understandable answer. "I was nervous when I met Oprah [Winfrey]," he admitted. Who wouldn't be?!
8. He's a former Grammys host
Before he hosted award ceremonies stateside, James Corden frequently hosted the BRIT Awards, which is the U.K.'s version of the Grammys. Then after his awesome first turn as a Tonys host, he got tapped to emcee the Grammys in 2017 and that was such a success, he returned to host in 2018. Though he was no stranger to award show duties by that point, James took his role very seriously. He told Vulture at the time, "It's not really a room for comedy. The strange thing about the Grammys is it's not really a traditional hosting gig like the Oscars, Emmys and Tonys are. It's in the Staples Center, in this big arena, and there are these unbelievable music performances. So what's the job of the host, really? It's essentially to usher the evening for the audience at home. If there wasn't an audience at home, this could all very easily happen without a host." That James is so humble!
9. He has a dream "Carpool Karaoke" guest
After landing legends like Elton John, Celine Dion and Adele, who else could James Corden possibly want to duet with on "Carpool Karaoke"? The host of "The Late Late Show" has one guest he's still dreaming about riding around with — the one and only Beyonce. "It would break the internet," he once told GQ.
10. He's a movie star
James Corden hasn't only taken over the small screen — he's also popped up on the big screen a time or two. He had a role in 2018's "Ocean's 8" alongside greats including Cate Blanchett, Sandra Bullock and Rihanna. And before that, he starred with Emily Blunt in the 2014 movie musical "Into the Woods." Next up for James on the silver screen? "Cats" alongside an eclectic cast of stars including Idris Elba, Taylor Swift and Judi Dench!
11. He's a talented voice actor
James Corden isn't just a familiar face — he's a familiar voice. He's lent his vocal talents to a number of animated flicks including "Trolls," "Planet 51" and "The Emoji Movie," in which he played Hi-5. He's also voiced characters in 2018's "Peter Rabbit," "Smallfoot" and "Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2."
12. He no longer identifies as a Christian
James Corden was raised in the Salvation Army church as a young boy but no longer considers himself a Christian and instead sees himself as a "spiritualist." "When you ask me what are my beliefs, I really struggle because you can't argue with science, only a madman would," he told fellow comedian John Bishop in 2016, noting that identifying as a Christian "relies on a greater belief than I have, but I absolutely do have a hunch that this can't be for nothing."
13. He's an Emmy winner
James Corden has won seven Emmys so far! He's taken home the statues for his work on "The Late Late Show with James Corden," for producing and hosting "Carpool Karaoke" series and specials and for hosting and producing the Tony Awards.
14. He's a huge soccer fan
James Corden is a massive fan of football (or soccer, as we call it here in the States). And he isn't shy about sharing his support for Premier League football club West Ham United: He often takes to Twitter — or appears as a raging guest on British sports radio shows — to offer some very strong opinions on player transfers, coaching decisions and more.
15. He's an OBE
James Corden is not only a beloved host and actor — he's also an OBE! The comedy star was appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his services to drama as part of Britain's 2015 New Year Honours. He received his medal from Princess Anne during a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
