James Corden says he's actually performing when hosting 'The Late Late Show': 'I see it all as a character that I'm sort of playing'

• James Corden said that he's playing a "character" when hosting "The Late Late Show."
• "I guess I see it all as a performance, really," he told NBC10 Boston.

James Corden said that when he's appearing on his late-night talk show he's actually playing a character.

The British-born star has been hosting "The Late Late Show" for seven years and plans to leave the CBS program in the spring after reaching 1250 episodes.

Over the course of his tenure in the slot previously occupied by Craig Ferguson, Corden has landed a number of impressive guests including Prince Harry and Michelle Obama, and became a viral sensation thanks to segments such as Carpool Karaoke, Drop the Mic, and Spill Your Guts.

"I guess I see it all as a performance, really," Corden said of his larger-than-life television presenting persona in an interview for "The Hub Today" on NBC10 Boston.

"I see it all as a character that I'm sort of playing," he continued.

"Like, it would be odd if I got home and opened the fridge and was like, 'Look who's here tonight! Stick around, we'll be right back!'" he said, mimicking the mannerisms he exhibits on the late-night talk show.

Corden went on to discuss his recently released Amazon Prime Video series, "Mammals," and said that while he approaches acting and presenting roles in the same way, they are very different to shoot.

"Our show is an hour a day, this entire series is two hours and 40 minutes," he noted. "I think it just comes down to the story and the script. So I think when you've got a story like this, the story that's resonating with so many people, that it's very different."

Upon announcing his exit from "The Late Late Show" in April 2022, Corden told Deadline that he hopes to make a return to acting and writing, although he said he was unsure whether he will move back to the United Kingdom or stay in the US.

The 44-year-old star has previously appeared in films including "Peter Rabbit," "Into the Woods," and "The Prom," and cocreated the British sitcom "Gavin and Stacey."

Corden recently said that he was in the running to star in the Oscar-tipped movie "The Whale" before Brendan Fraser was cast in the lead role.

"I was going to play that part, and Tom Ford was going to direct," Corden told Deadline's Pete Hammond in his latest column.

Corden also recently said on an episode of the podcast "Happy Sad Confused" that he also came close to landing another huge role when he was in his early 20s.

"Every single person in London auditioned for 'Lord of the Rings.' Everybody. And I auditioned for Samwise," he said.

"I was doing the accent and everything! 'Mr. Frodo!'" he added, imitating the character's West Country accent.

Corden said that while his audition was "not good," he was twice called back for the part of Frodo's loyal friend. However, it ended up going to the American actor Sean Astin.