James Corden reveals he is 'terrified' of starring in Broadway play ART and 'woke up sweating' worrying about his performance
The comedian, 46, is starring in the play ART, Yasmina Reza's comedy about friendship, ego and modern art.
The 17-week run from Aug-Dec marks return to the stage for Corden, who won a Tony for his performance in One Man, Two Guvnors in 2012. He stars opposite Neil Patrick-Harris and Jumanji's Bobby Cannavale.
But James has been suffering with a bout of stage fright as he discussed his fears around performing in the play at the 92Y Talks event in New York on Tuesday.
'I mean why do a play? I am terrified. I am terrified by this entire experience,' he said.
'I have woken up every single morning sweating thinking about this speech I have in the middle of the play. I go to sleep listening to a recording of it.
'You can ask my wife and son it is painful, my nerves for this entire experience. But I could not be excited about doing it.
'I am nervous as I have got this speech in the play. Pretty much every day I wish I was playing one of the other two parts. I cant tell you how much. I dunno. It is killing me man.'
James told how he is 'in awe' of his co-stars Neil and Bobby and said he realised he needed to step up his game after their first table read together.
'These two are a joke, they are unbelievable,' he said. 'They are so good. I was blown away about how accomplished and how good they were. I was like 'This might be a mistake. I probably shouldnt be doing this?'
Despite his apprhension about the speech he has to give during the play, James sees his nervousness as a good thing.
'It has to be terrifying. It has to be. Isn't that the thrill of it to be completely out of your comfort zone? What a privilege to be sacred and to be nervous,' he said.
'You are only nervous when you care about something. You are only nervous when something matters. Nerves are the greatest privilege you can have going to work.
'I mean how brilliant to feel something and to do something that you care about and matters. It is amazing and that is the reason to do it.
'This is a very important moment in my life. I know it is. I can already feel that. The challenge of it already feels extraordinary.'
James, like his character in the play, is in hi mid-40s and has found rehersals have got him thinking about death.
There are great moments of honesty in the play. The play is about three guys on the edge,' he said. 'You are in your mid 40s and it turn into like sniper's alley where you realise 'Oh s**t I am going to die. And other people are going to die' and 'Oh my God who am I? F*ck I better buy a painting to show you I might be somebody of merit. Somehow because I am dying with every passing breath and minute.'
James has had a successful career on both sides of the pond, having created the hit sitcom Gavin & Stacey and hosted The Late Late Show With James Corden in the US from 2015 to 2023.
'I mean if you could do go back. It is so easy when you are working to forget the very thing that you ever dreamt,' he said.
'I mean if I could go back and tell my 12 year old self that this would be his life right now. His head would explode.
'He would not be able to believe it that he would be in a play on Broadway. Doing this. It would be unfathomable and you have got to hang on to that every single day.
'The last hour of rehearsals today was hard man. I felt really bad as my wife and kids only arrived yesterday and every day they called me I was like "It was amazing. It was great."
'They arrived today and I got back and was like "Dont f*cking talk to me." But that is it. You have to Google Earth yourself every now and then and realise how lucky you are to be doing something like this.'
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