James Corden has never hidden his issues with his own weight. This mostly manifests itself in self-deprecating jabs. It’s always felt, to me, that he’s making the joke before the ‘other guy’ can, as in, James is sure that’s what people are thinking so he’ll say it first. Maybe I’m just projecting because I do this all the time with all of my insecurities. However, we do know that the perception of overweight people is something that truly bothers James and he’s been speaking out more and more on it. Yes, he still makes jokes on occasion but mainly, he wants to be viewed for the life he lives and not the one Hollywood projects.
James Corden’s acting career was filled with major ups and downs — soap opera bit roles, hit British sitcoms and Broadway shows — but one constant he’s seen is a lack of quality parts for people his size.
Corden now has a massive career as the host of The Late Late Show, but earlier in his acting days, despite starring in the hit play The History Boys, he struggled to get substantial roles while his costars earned major movie parts.
“I was good for playing a bubbly judge in a courtroom, or I’d be the guy who drops off a TV to Hugh Grant in a movie,” he told The New Yorker.
Corden said it’s a problem that stems from how society treats overweight people.
“If someone came from another planet and put on the television, you would think that people who are big or overweight don’t have sex,” he said. “They don’t fall in love. They’re friends of people who fall in love. They’re probably not that bright, but they’re a good time, and they’re not as valuable as people who are really good-looking.”
Corden said that for one of his first jobs, playing a college janitor on the British soap opera Hollyoaks, the set designer decorated his room with posters of fast food. Corden said he wouldn’t do his scene until they were removed.
“I thought that they were just really being nasty about anyone that’s overweight,” he told me. “I remember saying to the guy, ‘I don’t know one person who would take a picture of a hot dog and a burger and stick them on the wall.’ ”
In September, James addressed Bill Maher’s suggestion that “fat-shaming” should come back. You can read Quimby’s insightful post here and watch James’ response, which she embedded. James told the New Yorker in the interview quoted above that he was nervous about responding to Maher’s comments for fear of reciprocity. I, for one, am very glad he ultimately addressed them as I was quite moved by James’ response. As I am with what he said above. I’m always happy when people of all shapes are allowed to live their life without having to work their size into the story. One thing I liked about Shrill is that even though weight and peoples reaction to it is a big part of the storyline, Aidy Bryant’s Annie also lives her life as a sexy, smart woman. I like that none of Sookie St. James eccentricities portrayed on the Gilmore Girls had anything to do with her weight and that she was a happy, successful chef with a healthy love life.
I am gobsmacked that the Hollyoaks set designer thought that photos of food taped to the wall was a funny ‘fat person’ joke. I’m glad James took a stand on that. Baby steps, at least. I realize that James is speaking to his own experience and bravo to him for doing so. I’d like this conversation to extend to anyone who doesn’t fit into the Hollywood cookie cutters.
Photo credit: WENN/Avalon
Weird, I never thought of him as fat. Never occurred to me!
Me, either! I think he’s adorable and funny – now, that is sexy.
I don’t think of him as fat either, he’s slightly stocky. I do find it soooo funny that he has a gorgeous, very skinny wife or gf shown here? Typical of men, innit tho?
He used to be a lot bigger when he was younger. That’s when he started dating his now wife, Julia.
I thought the same thing.
except his role in Cats which was, you know, literally just a running fat joke………..
His weight has yo-yo’d over the years and he was bigger when he was younger.
Agree with what he says. Fat people in movies are either the funny side-kick or depressed, over-eater living in mum’s basement. There’s not much in-between.
he said everything right. fat people are always portrayed as jolly friends of the protagonist or of the main heroine. they don’t have feelings, inner worlds, dreams, lives or even personalities. and fat women in particular act like children. they are never seductive, they don’t have sexuality, they are just smiley and bubbly.
I was watching Superstore last night which is a show I watch only if I catch it on TV after the news but usually find to be funny. The episode was taking place at a wedding. I don’t know the character’s name but it was an overweight blonde woman and the running joke was how worried she was about when the free shrimp would be coming out. Later on they showed her eating a giant plate of shrimp and looking like she just had an orgasm. I found it pretty gross that of course, the ‘fat woman’ character was obsessed with the shrimp and had to be a glutton about it, and that was her entire character arc for the episode.
I love Superstore! But I don’t remember that episode, well – usually the joke about that character is she is always making sex and wine jokes that don’t land…I don’t think of it as a show that mocks people’s appearances, but I’ll have to start paying attention.
First off, I never really thought of James as fat. And I will say that as a former fat girl who was previously married to a guy with a six pack, I do know fat people have sex. Although, I will say the sex is much better when you are thinner, mostly bc I can do things now, I could never do before.
The fact that he is married to a very skinny, also pretty woman, Julie Carey, well, I find it amusing. But I totally get how he’s fat shames himself or feels the need to say something before another person does. I pretty much did the same thing when I was obese. I once was asked if I was pregnant, and I definitely was not at the time. At least he doesn’t have to worry about that LOL!
So I do feel, it’s much easier for a man to be “fat” than for a woman to be “fat”.
Lol! What are you doing in the bedroom you couldn’t do before? Gymnastics? I do not think skinny people have better sex because they are skinny.
I apologize if it sounded like I was talking about thinner people in general. What I meant was, the sex is better for me as a thin person than it was back when I weighed 70lbs more. I’m 5’1″ and 70lbs is the size of my 11 year old nephew. When you lose an entire person, you find you can do a lot of things you never once thought possible.
Also, when you’re uncomfortable in your own skin, it also prevents you from doing quite a bit in the bedroom. (In my experience at least). When your fat prevents you from being fully limber, it does tend to get in the way. Everyone has different experiences, this was mine.
I get what @Writermarie is saying. My husband and I have gotten fatter together and certain angles can get a little tricker with the added body mass lol. Things are also easier with better cardiovascular health and strength, although those are not directly tied to weight. I’ve found our sex to be better during periods where we were getting more exercise (outside the bedroom!), but that’s been when we’ve been heavier and when we were skinny.
I spent YEARS being worried that I was too fat for sex, and I’m not even that big, just probably a little bigger than average – like size 16-18. I knew in my brain that mostly when we women think ‘oh no, bulges!’ men are thinking ‘naked female!’ but it took my current partner, who I hope is my last one as we are in our 60s, to really drive it home. [yeah, I went there!] he LOVES my abundant curves and is constantly telling me. THERE IS HOPE.
I’m glad you clarified that this is only your experience because obviously good sex is incredibly subjective. I’ve been bigger and smaller than I am now and my sex life has been mostly good no matter my body shape, but again totally subjective.
I’m so envious of anyone with a sex life, period.
lol, I hear you, Kat. Me, too.
I’m not surprised about his experiences. I went from chubby in my teen years (and was horrifically bullied for it), to thin in my twenties (LOTS of work, borderline exercise bulimia if I’m honest with myself due to the body dysmorphia previous bullying left me with), then gained a ton back thanks to undiagnosed thyroid disease, and the difference in the way people – particularly men – treat me is ridiculous. Like I’m some sort of idiot who doesn’t understand how weight loss and diet works, despite having a biology degree on top of having previously been a thin privileged person. Like goddamn. Having a size zero waist ain’t a medical degree. Nobody owes you an excuse for existing while fat.
In general, i think it’s easier for men to be fat than women, since men aren’t told to define their value solely by their looks, but I do suspect that it’s isolating and kind of lonely. Men are still subjected to fat shaming culture but are equally punished for admitting to vanity or emotional vulnerability.
(Although, I will say the nice thing about hitting my thirties is that the pressure to remain thin is notably less significant. Mostly, I suspect, because we’re all too busy to give a shit, and most of us are facing the reality of our twenties metabolisms gone to the wayside. So we’re all bemoaning having to adjust to older bodies and new restrictions.)
I love everything you’ve said!
I have never been thin, always on the bigger end of “normal” weights for my height/age and I think, one thing I’ve had going for me as I aged in my mid/late 30s is that I’ve spent my whole adult life eating well because of my tendency to gain weight super super easily so while so many of my thin friends have really struggled with their aging metabolism, I haven’t struggled with it much. I never had a good metabolism in the first place (PCOS)! It’s been kind of freeing actually..
I adore James Corden – would love to see him in a rom com!
Try Gavin and Stacey! Smithy and Nessa were the REAL romance there!
Yes! i loved those characters
YES! You gotta watch the Christmas special they did this year or last (we never get British TV until way after it comes out). It’s on Amazon Prime.
And yet he chooses a skinny wife.
And he’s the poster boy for a fat guy? He barely qualifies.
Maybe, just maybe, he “chose” her because they met, dated, and fell in love and neither of them found the size of the other to be an issue. So basically, if you’re overweight, you should only date overweight people to send some kind of a message? Convoluted logic.
Why? Cuz fat people can only be with other fat people?
This reminds me of an ex friend of mine who always had guys to present me that always happened to be overweight… It’s one of the reasons why we aren’t friends anymore: feeling constantly judged by someone who’s supposed to have your back and care for you? No thank you!
Well said, Hecate! Only adding that I love his brown velvet jacket with that shirt and tie. I’m glad he’s talking about this and Aidy Bryant too. We don’t realize how much we internalize what we see on tv. Being afraid of looking like the sexless fool only perpetuates fatphobia.
I think he said what many fat people want to say (although he is not super big it’s his story and he knows how he feels).
Being fat is a running joke in people’s heads. I recently as of last year cut ties with a bunch of friends who would party/hang out with me and make fun of me behind my back. I’m in my thirties. I don’t need to deal with cruel people. It still hurt though but I really had to let them go.
Skinny or fit people often treat fat friends or relatives as charity cases, think we don’t have sex drives, no one is attracted to us, and are just there for jokes and to give lectures about exercise and nutrition as if we don’t know. It’s insulting but it happens.
Re. Him having a skinny wife – I’ve only ever dated skinny dudes. No particular reason why. I’m really not into looks solely but mostly on chemistry and energy exchange with guys so… I don’t think it’s weird?
I remember reading somewhere fairly recently that on sites like pornhub the most searched categories include bigger women–it shows that men are actually attracted sexually to bigger girls but society tells them it’s not ok so they watch videos of it in private. I’ve had guys who are extremely fit and regular gym goers find me very attractive despite being bigger–it’s just sad that when or if it’s in a movie or on TV it’s often presented as a joke or weird for a conventionally attractive guy to find a girl above a size 4 sexy.
Makes total sense. Lots of guys fetishize us as well. And I’ve come to realize lots of men only make a decent move on a fat woman when they’re drunk and/or in a place where is peers won’t see them. They will blurt out how they like big women and how I’m their type and whatever but I can never bring myself to actually go for it (one night stand or whatever) because I know what’s going on and I see the change happening (sober-drunk) and I know it will be awful when it wears off.
Want to make a move? Be sober or at least sober-ish and be genuine. My experience says that once they give in the battle starts being about really enjoying being with me but being too embarrassed to admit it publicly.
Again. Too old for that sh*t.
He’s right. I watched him in the sitcoms “Fat Friends” and “Gavin & Stacey.” I really enjoyed both shows. In “Fat Friends” (about a diet club) James played the role of a teenager with low self esteem who is bullied for being overweight.
I was shocked and still am deeply disappointed that my partner spontaneously told me he’s not ready for plus size mannequins (seen at Target). It makes me feel like he will not love me if I gain a lot of weight. I’ve always known him to have a beautiful, non judgemental heart and spirit. I was so charmed by his comment because my prior significant other said the same thing ( also after we saw them at Target!) and he was a total a******.
On the other hand, all the men I’ve dated have been relatively slim and I don’t know how I would feel about having sex with a guy with a beer gut. But I presume if I really loved him, I would be able to get past it. I don’t know that I would ever find it truly sexy. Am I an a******?
I also don’t think it’s fair that in general women are expected to get past body imperfections in their male partners, while men are much less pressured to do so.
I don’t think it makes you an a******. I think we all have types we are sexually attracted to. Thats different then judging a person’s intelligence, personality and worthiness for love based on their looks. I prefer my husband when he was muscular (his dad bod isn’t my preference but I have a mom bod now and I’d hope he didn’t love me less me for it).