How James Corden Killed It in His First Week
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This week marked British import James Corden's first week as the new host of The Late Late Show, and the actor/comedian/host made a huge impression. We had a feeling Corden would be good, based on his previous show business experience, but that's mostly been for British audiences only. This week was a proving ground for him, which showed what a charming host he is (something we saw in our own interview with him), but more importantly, he savvily employed a few techniques to ensure that people were talking about him. On that, he succeeded, and the newly minted host already has a fan in us. Here's how Corden pulled off straight A's in his first week on the air. Source: CBS
He Made Instantly Viral Sketches
On Corden's very first night, he employed guest Tom Hanks to re-create all his movies, making an instantly viral hit. It was a perfectly crafted piece, signaling that Corden has paid attention to other late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel, who've garnered next-day (and beyond) buzz for their shows. Even if most people didn't stay up late enough to watch Corden's debut, they watched this the next day because they love Tom Hanks, then realized it was Corden who made it happen.
He Got Answers From His A-List Guests
It was already a coup that Corden scored Hanks and Mila Kunis as two of his first guests, but Corden didn't position himself as a softball-throwing interviewer. He asked Kunis outright if she was married — and he (sort of) got an answer. If his skits don't get people talking about him, this cheeky celebrity journalism will.
He Got Funny People to Be Funny
Will Ferrell is promoting Get Hard, so it's not surprising that Corden landed him as a guest, but while Ferrell made headlines for his other funny appearances, he whipped out something new for Corden, singing the Star Trek theme song.
And He Got People You Don't Think of as Funny to Be Funny
As with his skit with Hanks, Corden had another viral hit on his hands, using an unexpected guest for laughs. Mariah Carey joined him on his commute, then goofed around with him, and even sang her own songs with him. It was nostalgic and fun, and Carey isn't the only celebrity Corden extracted some humor from — he also got Chris Pine to whip out his Christopher Walken impression. Keep doing what you're doing, James Corden.