James Corden, welcome to The Daily Social Distancing Show.
I'm so happy to be here. I feel like...
I feel like I've been living in your apartment now for months.
And I-I'm very, very happy
to now just be invited in, in this conversation.
I'm very happy to be here.
I also feel like you've been living here,
and you've been behind on rent for about eight months, James.
-Ha! -That's what I feel like.
I don't know. I think your show would be far worse
if I was behind the reins.
-How's everything? -Oh, man. This is...
I feel like you're tricking me into an interview about me,
because you've got a desk, and you've got a...
I'm interviewing you, James Corden. How is your life?
But I'm enjoying the back-and-forth.
No. How is your...? Tell me about your life.
'Cause I've... Can I tell you what I've loved?
I've loved how
you've created a semblance of normal with your show.
I know in California, you know, you guys have...
You can drive into a studio. It's a lot safer.
I've seen how you guys
have spaced things out and everything.
But what I've really loved is
how, like, you've created a semblance...
What is it like there, like, in the studio?
'Cause you don't have your audience?
Yeah, I mean, we've-we've really changed the whole set around.
-So where I'm sat now... -Right.
...is where the audience normally sits to watch the show.
-Oh. Oh, okay. -And... and then everybody sits over there.
And-and I have to say, I've sort of... It's...
I've become so used to it, I've really enjoyed the whole...
sort of freedom of...
of reimagining the show in a new way.
-You know, I've-I've really found it quite... -Right.
Uh... I-I found it quite freeing, actually,
just the notion of...
Now it feels like we're just a group of friends
that people can check in with if they want to, you know?
-And that's quite a nice way to do it. -I'll tell you...
One thing I always loved about you is, like,
your-your character performances.
Like, you-you are a...
I would call you, like, a theater nerd.
Like, you're a... you're a theater nerd.
You love being on stage, you love being in character.
-For sure. -And what I found is, now your show feels
like a mini theater performance in a way, you know?
It feels like I'm watching a theater show
of a late-night show,
which is the most fun thing I've ever seen. It's you.
Sometimes, like, you'll be...
you'll be shitting on your camera guys.
And then, like, they'll say something back to you.
It-it... Do you think that you guys have developed more
of a camaraderie during this time?
Without question, without question.
It really, really has brought everybody... together.
Oddly... You know, so many of us are still distant.
I mean, I-I haven't seen almost all of our writers
-since, kind of March, you know, in the flesh. -Right. Right.
But there's been a real sense of...
a-a great sense of-of gratitude in the-the...
I-I've always considered it a privilege
to get to go to work every day and-and do a show.
-Like, that's never been lost on me. -Right, right, right.
But in this moment now,
I think everybody feels like, "Well, look, we're...
"we're working,
and that puts us in the luckiest five percent of people."
-Yeah. Yeah, yeah. -And if we can try and have fun
while we're doing it, that will be great.
But I've never felt such a great sense of camaraderie
on the show really than in the past few months
that we've been doing it.
Because in a way, we've had to make our own fun.
Like, normally, our show--
we're out in the car singing with people,
-or we're trying to put on a musical... -Yes. Yes.
...out on the crosswalk.
And none of those things we can do at the moment.
So really, it's...
We've sort of thought, well,
in this room, we'll try to have a good time.
And if people would like to join us on it, that's great.
But we'll be here anyway, you know.
Contractually, we're obliged to.
-So that's what we'll do, you know? -(laughing)
Your brand-new film on Netflix, The Prom--
um, I-I had to pause it a few times
because I was very uncomfortable
because it's, like, all these people dancing
and-and touching each other and speaking close.
Like, it's very, uh, non-coronavirus times.
-Well, yes. -And I was just like, "This is... Whew."
I felt triggered. I felt triggered.
Many, many, many times, I had to pause.
Um, but you... but you shot this movie, and
what I loved about the film was, at first, I was like,
"Wait. What's going on here?
"'Cause this is Meryl Streep, and this is James Corden.
But, like, they're being very weird right now."
And then I realized that the whole play is-is...
It's a really beautiful, almost satirical take
on, like, on celebrities and on Broadway,
and on, like, people on the coast who think
they're superior to people in the middle of America.
And it's this fun story
where you and Meryl Streep play these actors
who are so used to being self-absorbed
and in yourselves and succeeding,
and then you hit failure head-on for the first time.
Tell me what it was like making this movie.
Because you filmed it... before coronavirus?
And then you had to come back
and finish it during coronavirus.
Well, I'd actually shot all of my stuff before it shut down.
The-the film is an adaptation of a show
-that was out on Broadway... -Right, right.
...um, about two years ago, 18 months ago.
Um, and I saw the show, and it's a... it's a joyous,
sort of big, um, silly musical, really,
that then becomes about something very, very real.
And it's a... I love those moments
where it pokes fun at the, uh...
at sort of faux activism, you know?
-Yes, yes. -I think those bits are...
are really... are really great fun.
And Meryl Streep and I play two... Broadway stars--
myself a lesser Broadway star than her--
who have devoted their entire lives to the theater.
Um, and it starts in this big sort of broad world of New York.
And then... and basically, they hear a story about a girl
in Indiana who has been told
-she can't attend her prom because she's gay. -Yes.
And they think, if we go down there and we get involved,
we'll look so woke, people will think that we're good people,
and that will get us back on top again.
-Right. -And then it really becomes about... It's a...
It's a... it's a film about acceptance, really.
It's a film about the notion that love is love,
and all of our hearts beat the same, you know?
And I'm-I'm very, very proud to be part of it.
I-I really am. It was... it was a joy to make.
And, uh, and I'm so thrilled
so many people are enjoying it, you know.
Well, I'll tell you this, man.
It's fun seeing the two of you interact on screen.
Uh, it's fun seeing people hold hands and kiss.
Um, it's-it's a... it's a fun celebration of Broadway,
which we all hope will come back, you know,
-seeing the explosion of celebrations. -Yeah.
Um, and it was cool seeing you, you know, away from the desk.
I hope to see more of you.
Uh, thank you so much for joining me on the show.
-Have fun in the studio. -Can I just tell you,
I have to say this. I have to say this just so...
just because if I don't, I'll get in trouble.
You're already aware of this,
that my father is obsessed with you.
And, um, I haven't spoken to him in a week,
and he called me today
because he realized that I was on the show.
And the only reason he called me was to send you his love.
He had nothing else to say to me.
Nothing else at all. Not, "How are the kids? Is everyone safe?"
He said, "Please send Trevor..."
He said, "Please send Trevor my love."
And I said, "Will do." And then he went,
"Trevor's doing the Grammys. And I said, "I know."
He went, "He will be the best host of that show
they could ever... they could ever find."
And I said, "Dad, you met Trevor in New York
when I was hosting the Grammys."
He said, "I know. It was the highlight of the night."
So if I don't pass on... if I don’t' pass on his love,
I'll get another phone call. Uh...
Well, tell him I said "Hi," James.
Always fun having him. Always fun.
(both laugh)
Oh, man, I miss him, man. I miss him.
Tell him I said "Hi" for real.
I will do. Bless you, Trevor.
All right, cool. Thank you so much, James.
-Take care, buddy. -See you real soon, mate.