James Corden 'isn't a confident person' and struggled with fame

‘People expect to meet this lager-drinking lad’: James Corden says he ‘isn’t a confident person’ and struggled with fame after Gavin and Stacey

James Corden has revealed that he isn’t a ‘confident lad or lout’ who likes going out and ‘drinking lager’ – but is instead more of an introverted character. 

The TV host, 44, – who found fame as lovable Smithy on Gavin and Stacey – says people have misconceptions about him after watching his well-known character on the show.

He also told in a new interview how he struggled with fame at first as he wondered if people liked him for him or just liked his character of Smithy.

Personality: James Corden has revealed that he isn’t a ‘confident lad or lout’ who likes going out and ‘drinking lager’ – but is instead more of an introverted character

He said to The Times: ‘I think I used to get quite freaked out. I didn’t know how to deal with it, and also there was this thing of people going, ‘Ah, Smithy!’ and – what do you do? 

‘They’re expecting to meet this really confident lad, or lout, drinking lager, and I’m really not a lad, you know?

‘I’m a musical theatre performer. I don’t drink beer. I like maybe one slimline G&T. I didn’t know what people wanted from me.’

Comparisons: The The TV host, 44, – who found fame as lovable Smithy on Gavin and Stacey – says people have misconceptions about him after watching his well-known character on the show (pictured with Ruth Jones as Nessa)

He added that no ever tells you have to deal with fame and that you have to ‘figure it out along the way’ as he admitted he got ‘tangled’ up in whether people liked him or liked his Smithy character. 

It comes as he and his family are preparing to leave Los Angeles to return to his native UK, with the move following a huge backlash after he was accused of abusing staff at a restaurant.

In the same interview with The Times he has claimed he quit The Late Late Show to spend more time with his children – Max, 11, as well as daughters Carey, eight, and Charlotte, four.

Tough: He also told in a new interview how he struggled with fame at first as he wondered if people liked him for him or just liked his character of Smithy

The star – who is married to TV producer Julia Carey, 46 – recalled having to cancel a family vacation, which ended up being the final straw.

James said that he remembers his own childhood fondly and didn’t want to miss those precious years with his own kids, so decided to quit The Late Late Show.

The interview came as the comedian’s reputation took a hit, after he was dubbed ‘a tiny cretin of a man’ by Keith McNally – the British owner of upscale New York restaurant Balthazar.

In a series of scathing social media posts, McNally claimed the comedian berated servers on two separate occasions and said he planned to ’86’ – ban – Corden from his restaurant.

Reflecting on the backlash, James described it as the ‘most surreal’ moment and ‘so odd’ as he admitted he doesn’t read anything about himself online. 

He also doubled down on his denial that he ‘shouted’ or ‘swore’ at anyone as he insisted he did not use any derogatory language. 

He said of the many ‘bad stories’ circulating about him: ‘I’ve just stopped reading it. I just won’t do it. I don’t google myself, I don’t read anything about myself.’

According to McNally, one of James’ reported rants came after he found a hair in his meal leading him to demand free rounds of drinks and threaten to post nasty reviews on Yelp.

Change: It comes as he and his family are preparing to leave Los Angeles to return to his native UK after he quit The Late Late Show

Oh dear! The move follows a huge backlash after he was accused of abusing staff at a restaurant recently (Pictured with wife Julia, 46, in London in 2018)

On the second occasion, the actor allegedly blew up when his wife Julia was served an egg yolk omelet that also contained a trace of egg white – which the comedian later claimed she was allergic to.

He phoned McNally to apologize for his behavior but reignited the row in an interview with the New York Times, in which he said the drama was ‘beneath me’ and denied doing anything wrong.

He also complained about the backlash, telling the newspaper: ‘I feel so Zen about the whole thing. Because I think it’s so silly. I just think it’s beneath all of us. It’s beneath you. It’s certainly beneath your publication.’

The interview then sparked a response from McNally who demanded Corden apologize to the servers he allegedly abused. 

Enough is enough: Keith McNally – the British owner of New York eatery Balthazar, described Corden’s alleged blowups, while also claiming he behaved similarly at his previous restaurant

Family:  James shares son Max, 11, as well as daughters Carey, eight, and Charlotte, four, with his TV producer wife Julia (Pictured together in September 2021)

Source: Read Full Article