James Corden Almost Starred in One of This Year's Biggest Oscar Contenders
James Corden nearly starred in one of the most buzzed-about awards contenders of 2022. Corden recently revealed that he almost played one of the Hobbits in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy. In more current news, Corden tells Deadline's Peter Hammond that he was once slotted to play the lead role in The Whale. At the time, the film had another director, not Darren Aronofsky, attached to it. "I was going to play that part, and Tom Ford was going to direct," Corden said. He added that the Zoolander director left the project after being denied complete control.
Corden is currently out supporting his new Prime Video series Mammals. The longtime host of The Late Late Show will leave the job this summer.
Who stars in The Whale?
Rather than Corden, Branden Fraser stars in Aronofsky's The Whale. He plays an obese English teacher trying to reconnect with his daughter. The film required Fraser to wear a suit to make him appear as if he weighed 600 pounds.
"I developed muscles I did not know I had," Fraser said during a panel at the Venice Film Festival. "I even felt a sense of vertigo at the end of the day when all the appliances were removed; it was like stepping off the dock onto a boat in Venice. That [sense of] undulating. It gave me appreciation for those whose bodies are similar. You need to be an incredibly strong person, mentally and physically, to inhabit that physical being… The torso piece was almost like a strait jacket with sleeves that went on, airbrushed by hand, to look identical as would human skin, right down to the hand-punched hair," the star added.
The Whale reviews
The Whale has received mixed reviews from critics, though Fraser's performance has garnered much praise. ComicBook.com's Patrick Cavanaugh awarded the film a 4-star review.
"Fraser is earning some of the best reviews of his career with The Whale, and they are entirely earned," Cavanaugh writes. "Without the actor and his subtle performance, The Whale would sink, with anyone who is aware of his personal life sure to find even more to be moved by as they watch him bring to life one touching scene after another. Making the experience all the more effective are Fraser's costars, as they are all bringing out the best in each other, as the narrative dares you to be left unmoved. Aronofsky's direction leaves much to be desired, as the blocking can feel stunted and dialogue can feel artificial, but The Whale proves not only how diverse the filmmaker's skills are but also how Fraser is an unsinkable talent."
The Whale is now playing in theaters.