James Corden Lived With This Actor Before They Were Famous

James Corden is currently one of the most well-known personalities in late night television. His "The Late Late Show" on CBS has become an incredibly successful program with popular skits, such as Corden's recurring "Carpool Karaoke" segment. Corden's prosperity in this role surprised him, as he has said that he was initially skeptical about how the show would be received by audiences. "I was so convinced it wouldn't work that we rented all our furniture for a year," Corden told Mr. Porter in 2016. "I mean, I've never hosted a chat show before. I'm not a stand-up. I'm not even a sketch comedian."

In spite of this uncertainty, Corden's show has gone on to receive more than 27 million YouTube subscribers and air over 1,000 episodes, per Deadline. Prior to "The Late Late Show," however, there was a time when Corden was living with a fellow actor who had yet to reach his height of fame.

Fellow British actor Dominic Cooper lived with James Corden in 2008. The pair had been friends since meeting in 2004. They starred in the film "History Boys" together in 2006, and Cooper introduced Corden to his now-wife, Julia, per The Sun. Cooper, like Corden, would later go on to find success in the industry, as he has taken on roles in major projects like "Mamma Mia!," "My Week with Marilyn," and "Captain America: The First Avenger."

In a 2016 episode of "The Late Late Show with James Corden," Cooper and Corden reminisced about their time as roommates. Corden recalled that their apartment was at the top of a house and, although it was advertised as furnished, it had no furniture inside. Cooper confirmed this, adding that the kitchenware the roommates kept at their place was also sparse — which resulted in Corden finding him in an interesting position one night.

"We had a bed, one bed ... and we only had one piece of cutlery, which was a spatula," Cooper said in the interview. "I remember a really depressing evening where [Corden] called me, he came home, and I was just eating baked beans with a spatula."

Dominic Cooper and James Corden have remained close as both have had continued success in Hollywood. Cooper has been a guest on Corden's "Late Late Show" several times, and most recently appeared on the program in 2021. In December 2021, Cooper spoke to Metro about what it's like to be interviewed by one of his closest friends in front of a huge audience. "It's very, very odd and remains always funny," Cooper said of appearing on Corden's show. "It's jaw-droppingly astonishing, having those moments where you think, 'What on earth's going on?'"

Cooper also mentioned how he was quickly able to recognize Corden's talent when the two worked together on "The History Boys." He also addressed how fortunate he and Corden both feel to be in their positions of great success following their humble beginnings. "From the moment I saw James in rehearsal on 'The History Boys,' I knew he was going to move up quickly, he was so full of ideas," Cooper said. "But we both know how lucky we are."