• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
James Corden says he nearly starred in The Whale instead of Brendan Fraser

Home> Film & TV

Updated 16:38 1 Jan 2023 GMTPublished 12:43 1 Jan 2023 GMT

James Corden says he nearly starred in The Whale instead of Brendan Fraser

James Corden says he was offered the role taken by Brendan Fraser in The Whale some time ago, but it never quite materialised

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock/A24

Topics: Celebrity, Film and TV, James Corden

Tom Wood
Tom Wood

Tom Wood is a LADbible journalist and Twin Peaks enthusiast. Despite having a career in football cut short by a chronic lack of talent, he managed to obtain degrees from both the University of London and Salford. According to his French teacher, at the weekend he mostly likes to play football and go to the park with his brother. Contact Tom on [email protected]

X

@TPWagwim

Advert

Advert

Advert

James Corden has claimed that he almost starred in The Whale, the new film starring Brendan Fraser that has seen him talked about as a likely winner of the Academy Award for Best Actor. Here’s the trailer for the film – but be warned, it’s not exactly a comedy romp.

Corden has been making a few claims recently, including that he tried out for the role of Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings.

In the end, that part went to Sean Astin, who – I think we can all agree – made it his own.

Advert

Well, now Corden is at it again, as while promoting his new series Mammals, the host of The Late Late Show said that he nearly bagged the part in The Whale that was eventually taken up by Brendan Fraser.

You see, the original play on which the film is based – written by Samuel D. Hunter – was actually optioned by Darren Aronofsky around 10 years ago, but he wasn’t always supposed to direct the flick.

At one stage, it looked as if Tom Ford – of A Single Man fame – was set to take the reins for the project, and he’d wanted to give Corden the part instead.

James Corden is promoting his new Prime Video series Mammals.
Sipa US/Alamy

Advert

Speaking with Deadline in support of his aforementioned Prime Video show, Corden said: “I was going to play that part, and Tom Ford was going to direct.”

The English actor went on to say that Ford eventually decided against getting involved because he wasn’t going to be allowed the level of creative control that he wanted - which Aronofsky confirmed when asked by the interviewer about it.

Corden also said that George Clooney was also in the frame to direct the movie, although he declined in the end because he wanted to cast an unknown actor who actually weighed 600lbs in the starring role.

Incidentally, in case you’ve not heard, that’s what the film is about.

Advert

Fraser plays a huge man who is attempting to rekindle a relationship with his teenage daughter.

For his performance, The Mummy star has had to do things more physical than he ever has before, including marathon periods in make-up and prosthetics, never mind the weight of the suit he had to wear to present the image of someone that large.

Yes, he even ranks it higher in difficulty than his action roles from yesteryear.

In the end, Brendan Fraser got the part.
A24

Advert

Speaking in conversation with Freddie Prinze Jr. for Interview Magazine, Fraser said: “You can light me on fire, push me off camels, beat me up, throw me down, and I’ll get up, patch it up, and try it again until it doesn’t work anymore.

“But it felt like the hardest thing I’d ever done was playing Charlie in The Whale.”

Well, whatever he has done seems to have worked, because whilst the film has had a few mixed reviews, it received a standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival and Fraser is already being tipped for Oscar recognition.

The Whale is slated for release on February 3 2023.

Choose your content:

13 hours ago
a day ago
  • 13 hours ago

    Fans rave over ‘addicting’ drama with a ‘pretty dark’ story that you can stream on Netflix right now

    The new Netflix drama released on the popular streaming platform last week

    Film & TV
  • a day ago

    Shocking true story of series where woman with terminal cancer divorces husband and sleeps with 200 men

    Molly Kochan was just 33 years old when she was diagnosed with cancer

    Film & TV
  • a day ago

    Fans urge Netflix subscribers to watch ‘underrated' sci-fi series with perfect RT score and three seasons to binge

    The 'underrated' sci-series debuted in 2016 before concluding in 2018

    Film & TV
  • a day ago

    TikTok users point out hilarious issue with Netflix documentary on 'biohacker’ who wants to live forever

    Bryan Johnson has made a name for himself in his attempts to live forever

    Film & TV
  • James Corden admits he tried Ozempic and shares surprising results
  • James Van Der Beek reveals subtle early cancer symptom he dismissed before shock diagnosis
  • Leonardo DiCaprio reveals the one career move that was he says was his biggest 'regret'
  • James Cameron reveals what he saw after he reached deepest point in the ocean that is 35,787 feet underwater