How James and Julia Corden became the unlikely power couple of Hollywood
How James Corden went from Hollyoaks to Hollywood power player: Host and his wife take over Tinseltown with royal interview that scooped Oprah, interior design for the Clooneys and a £50million fortune
- James Corden, 42, moved to Los Angeles six-years-ago for The Late Late Show
- He has since become A-list royalty with huge hosting gigs and celebrity pals
- Good friends with Prince Harry, 36, and Meghan Markle, 39, for over a decade
- His wife Julia is also hugely successful with her interior design business
- Her clients include Mila Kunis and Aston Kutcher as well as the Clooneys
After first finding fame as Essex lad Smithy in British sitcom Gavin and Stacey, James Corden has seen a meteoric rise to Hollywood A-lister.
The actor, 42, who started his career as an actor in Hollyoaks, relocated from the UK to Los Angeles six-years-ago to anchor The Late Late Show.
James started fronting the chat show in March 2015, and has since amassed a fortune of over £50 million through presenting gigs like the Tony Awards and various acting jobs.
The former Gavin and Stacey star has hit the big-screen and starred alongside actresses like Emily Blunt in Into the Woods and Jennifer Hudson in Cats.
And earlier today, the long-term friend of Prince Harry, 36, stole a march on Oprah Winfrey by airing the pair’s antics days before the prime-time interview that enraged Buckingham Palace.
From brushing shoulders with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to multi-million dollar hosting gigs, James Corden and his wife Julia have become the most unlikely power couple of Hollywood
The star’s recent success is a far from cry from the small role he had in Hollyoaks at the start of his career (pictured)
His wife Julia, 41, co-founded popular interior design brand Charles & Co, whose A-list clients on either side of the pond include the Clooneys and the Beckhams.
The two superstar families aren’t the only celebs the couple have within the phonebook, with James counting One Director star Harry Styles and Mamma Mia actor Dominic Cooper among his besties.
And at the start of the year, it was revealed James would join the likes of DJ Khaled and Robbie Williams in representing WW after becoming ’embarrassed’ about his body.
Not bad for a guy who started his career with a small roles in Hollyoaks and a Tango advert.
Here FEMAIL reveals how the unexpected pair have been catapulted into the centre of the celebrity world.
HOSTING GIGS
With the immense popularity of segments like Carpool Karaoke, James has become one of America’s most beloved late night presenters
After first finding fame as Essex lad Smithy in British sitcom Gavin and Stacey, James Corden has seen a meteoric rise to Hollywood A-lister (pictured, in the sitcom)
The Gavin And Stacey star first cracked America when his stage show One Man Two Guvnors transferred to Broadway in 2012 after a successful stint in the West End.
He was then catapulted to worldwide fame after he made his debut as the presenter of The Late, Late Show in 2015, taking over the role from Craig Ferguson.
With the immense popularity of segments like Carpool Karaoke, James has become one of America’s most beloved late night presenters.
And thanks to his success on The Late, Late Show, James has landed a number of roles in Hollywood films like Into The Woods and The Prom, and he has also hosted the Tony Awards.
He has since reportedly more than doubled his wealth to a whopping £50m after moving to Hollywood.
Following his move to LA, James has become one of the partners at film production company Fulwell 73 and seen his assets swell.
He was previously estimated as being worth around £22m, however in the latest accounts from his company the business’ assets are declared as £140m.
The star also has earnings from his film and TV roles, with him thought to earn $7m for The Late Late Show, as well as millions of dollars tied up in his properties.
FRIENDS WITH ROYALS
James has been close friends with the Duke of Sussex, 39, for a decade, with the presenter previously revealing they met ‘out and about’ in London
The couple recently appeared on The Late Late Show with James Corden, with Meghan Markle appearing over FaceTime
James and Prince Harry have been friends for years, telling People: ‘The friendship mostly started with being out and about the same places in London.’
The chat show host and his wife Julia attended the royal wedding to Meghan Markle in May 2018.
The funnyman joined a whole galaxy of stars including George and Amal Clooney as well as David and Victoria Beckham.
At the time, he described the nuptials, revealing: ‘It was so lovely. I’ve known Prince Harry about seven years now and it was wonderful.
‘It was one of the most beautiful ceremonies I’ve ever been to. It was gorgeous, it was a whole affair, it was happy, it was joyous, it was uplifting.’
James made a showstopping entrance to the palace afterparty as it was claimed he arrived at Prince Harry and Meghan‘s wedding reception dressed up as King Henry VIII.
At the time, People Magazine reported the presenter arrived last to the reception, clad in the monarch’s signature Tudor costume, saying he ‘didn’t know what to wear’.
He said: ‘Harry asked me to do some kind of performance…it was fun, it was a really special day.’
Meanwhile the presenter also stole the march on Oprah by airing his antics with Prince Harry days before the prime-time interview that enraged Buckingham Palace.
In a wide-ranging chat mostly carried out on an open-top bus, the Duke of Sussex – or ‘Haz,’ as Corden calls him – reveals he went from ‘zero to sixty’ with Meghan and how the pressures of living in London were ‘destroying my mental health.’
HOBNOBBING WITH THE HOLLYWOOD ELITE
James and Julia were snapped chatting with fellow guests at the royal wedding, including George and Amal Clooney
Close friends for the presenter and actor include One Direction star Harry Styles, who James recently lent his Palm Springs home to
From decorating the homes of celebrities to hosting them on a chatshow, Julia and James have settled into the centre of life in Los Angeles.
James’ Carpool Karaoke has seen the funny-man bantering with megastars like Madonna, Britney Spears and Adele.
Meanwhile stars among their closest circle include One Direction star Harry Styles, with Corden recently lending him his Palm Springs home while the musician was shooting his part in Wilde’s new movie.
His relationship with Mamma Mia star Dominic Cooper dates back to 2004 when they were rooming together and starring in The History Boys, a British campus comedy.
Speaking of their days sharing a flat in London on James’ chat show, The Late Late Show, Dominic reminisced on how they would often sleep in the same bed due to the lack of furniture.
He said: ‘We were never there at the same time much, were we? But when we were, there was absolutely no furniture.
We had a bed, one bed. We only had one piece of cutlery which was a spatula.
‘I remember one depressing evening, he caught me, he came home and I was eating baked beans with the spatula.’
James added: ‘We rented it furnished. It had no furniture in it and we never thought to complain.’
It was Dominic who introduced James to now wife Julia, who was an old school friend of his.
He told People: ‘I said, ‘Hi, Jules. You might be the most beautiful woman in the world.’ She said, ‘Well, thank you very much. That sounds like something you say a lot.’
‘And I said, ‘I’ve never said it before in my life.’ That was it. That was it, really. I was in. And by an absolute miracle, so was she.’
Later, the two slinked off to a corner to plan the rest of their lives, with James revealing: ‘I remember saying to her, ‘Well, what about on Friday we could do nothing together? You could come over and we could just do nothing.
“And then maybe we could do nothing on Saturday, and we could do nothing on the Sunday. And if our evenings are enough of nothing, then maybe this would become something.”
‘And she said, ‘That sounds like a fun idea.’”
James proposed on holiday in the Maldives in 2008, while Julia was expecting their eldest son Max.
They married in September 2012 at Babington House, with a spectacular guest list including Lara Stone, comedian Michael McIntyre, and Snow Patrol lead singer Gary Lightbody.
The couple also have two daughters, Charlotte, six, and Carey, three.
LIFESTYLE OF THE HOLLYWOOD ELITE
When he was still a jobbing actor, known mainly for his role in the Alan Bennett play The History Boys, Corden shared a flat above a London doughnut shop with Dominic Cooper (now star of hit TV show Preacher).
Corden joked that there was no furniture and only one piece of cutlery, a spatula, and that the fridge contained only ‘half a vitamin water and a Lindt chocolate bunny’.
Today, he shares a £7.3 million mansion in Brentwood, an upmarket LA suburb, with Julia and their three children – Max, eight, Carey, four, and Charlotte, 18 months.
There are five bedrooms, eight bathrooms and a pool, plus such typically Hollywood features as a wood-panelled library, cinema room and gym.
It also has its own spa and an office complete with high-tech film editing facilities.
While he stays in LA, Corden rents out the family’s £3 million London home in leafy Belsize Park for about £15,000 a month.
His neighbours in Brentwood –just a 20-minute drive from the CBS studios where his chat show is filmed – include Gwyneth Paltrow, Cindy Crawford, Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg.
‘The children are happy and healthy and love their circle of friends,’ says the source. ‘James is a devoted dad and spends a lot of time with the kids. His weekends are sacrosanct.
‘James knows none of this success would mean anything without Julia’s love and support. His family means everything to him.’
POPULAR INTERIORS COMPANY
Meanwhile Julia is co-founded of the interior design company Charles & Co, which counts The Beckhams among its clients
While James has a successful acting and presenting career, his wife Julia runs a hugely successful and popular interior design company.
With a background in TV production, talent management and PR, she founded Charles & Co in 2016 with Vicky Charles, who was the design director for Soho House having worked for the group for 20 years.
The pair were introduced by Soho House CEO Nick Jones and set up the business while Julia was taking time off to have her children.
She handles the business side of Charles & Co, recently telling The Telegraph her role is ‘to allow Vicky to be as creative as possible.’
High-profile clients include the Beckhams, the Clooneys, Emma Stone, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis.
Builds for the pair usually include a ‘social, club-like spaces’ within their homes, including bars, wine cellars, playrooms and even libraries.
Meanwhile others might value a recording studio, with Julia revealing: ‘Being able to record a little voiceover without having to leave your house can make a huge difference, especially if you live outside the city.’
WW SPONSORSHIP
Slimmed down: The star revealed in the New Year that he has signed up to the health and fitness programme. Pictured left in 2018 and right in 2000
Earlier this year, James was unveiled as the new ambassador for WW, previously known as Weight Watchers, after becoming ’embarrassed’ over his body.
During a chat with Oprah Winfrey on WW’s Facebook page he revealed he ‘hates’ doing exercise but his wife Julia plans circuits for them to do.
James revealed in the New Year that he has signed up to the health and fitness programme to help shift the conversation around wellness.
He said: ‘I want to change the way that I live. I want to be better for my children and for my family. I don’t want to wake up tired, or feel embarrassed when I’m chasing my son on the soccer field and out of breath after three minutes.’
James joins fellow stars DJ Khaled and Robbie Williams in representing the brand and using the platform to get in shape and change their lives.
The TV star, who first burst onto TV screens in scripted series Fat Friends in 2000, said: ‘The weight is not the issue, it’s the wellness of it I am ready to tackle. I’m going to take this year and work towards getting healthy…
James has been candid about his weight struggles in the past and back in 2017 he shed six stone in weight and found major success in Hollywood, however he has also admitted the one food that he can’t stop eating is bread.
Speaking about the last time he was ‘off bread’ for dietary reasons, James recalled an incident while he was out at dinner saying: ”[I have] a sort of battle with food…
‘Then they delivered this basket of warm, fresh bread and we’re like, “It’s happening, we’re doing it. Who are we trying to kid?” ‘It’s our nemesis, it’s out to destroy us!’
