How James and Julia Corden became the unlikely power couple of Hollywood

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After first finding fame as Essex lad Smithy in British sitcom Gavin and Stacey, James Corden has schmoozed his way into Los Angeles lifestyle rivaling that of any global megastar – and the celebrity connections to go with it. 

The actor, 42, who started his career as an actor in Hollyoaks, relocated from the UK to Los Angeles six-years-ago to anchor The Late Late Show and has since amassed a fortune of over £50 million thanks to high profile hosting gigs and roles in films like Into The Woods, Cats and The Prom.   

Corden and his interior designer wife Julia, 41, have a roll-call of Hollywood royalty on speed-dial after carefully cultivating connections with the industry’s biggest movers and shakers.  

Yesterday he put these connections to good use to pull off the biggest coup of his career – a candid interview with the Duke of Sussex, 36, that aired days before a sit-down chat with the Queen of US TV: Oprah Winfrey.

The Cordens’ social status was cemented when they were invited to the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s wedding where James was asked to compere the private evening reception.  

There they were spotted chatting with the Clooneys who, it turns out, are among the clients’ of Julia’s interior design brand Charles & Co. Also there were David and Victoria Beckham, who also called upon the firm when it came to redecorating.

Among the Cordens’ close friends are Harry Styles and Dominic Cooper, while James has had everyone from Sir Elton John to Tom Hanks and Lady Gaga on his show.

The couple also boast a home worthy of Hollywood superstars, living in a £7.3 million mansion in Brentwood, an upmarket LA suburb, with their three children. The property hast five bedrooms, eight bathrooms and a pool, plus such typically Hollywood features as a wood-panelled library, cinema room and gym.

It also has its own spa and an office complete with high-tech film editing facilities. 

As well as keeping up with his hosting and acting roles, Corden recently added a major endorsement deal to his name. 

And at the start of the year, it was revealed James would join the likes of DJ Khaled and Robbie Williams in representing WW after becoming ’embarrassed’ about his body.

Not bad for a guy who started his career with a small roles in Hollyoaks and a Tango advert. 

Here FEMAIL reveals how the unexpected pair have been catapulted into the centre of the celebrity world. 

HOW THE BRITISH TV STAR BROKE AMERICA 

The Gavin And Stacey star first cracked America when his stage show One Man Two Guvnors transferred to Broadway in 2012 after a successful stint in the West End. 

He was then catapulted to worldwide fame after he made his debut as the presenter of The Late, Late Show in 2015, taking over the role from Craig Ferguson.

With the immense popularity of segments like Carpool Karaoke, James has become one of America’s most beloved late night presenters.

And thanks to his success on The Late, Late Show, James has landed a number of roles in Hollywood films like Into The Woods and The Prom, and he has also hosted the Tony Awards.  

He has since reportedly more than doubled his wealth to a whopping £50m after moving to Hollywood. 

Following his move to LA,  James has become one of the partners at film production company Fulwell 73 and seen his assets swell. 

He was previously estimated as being worth around £22m, however in the latest accounts from his company the business’ assets are declared as £140m.  

The star also has earnings from his film and TV roles, with him thought to earn $7m for The Late Late Show, as well as millions of dollars tied up in his properties. 

HOBNOBBING WITH THE HOLLYWOOD ELITE

From decorating the homes of celebrities to hosting them on a chatshow, Julia and James have settled into the centre of life in Los Angeles. 

Since relocating to the States, Corden has drawn other high-profile pals into his circle, including U2 frontman Bono and actor Sean Penn. Mary Poppins actress Emily Blunt and her American husband John Krasinski – one of Hollywood’s most popular power couples – are regular guests at his home.

There is, too, an unlikely friendship with Anna Wintour, the formidable British editor of American Vogue. They met after Anna saw Corden in the Broadway version of the play One Man, Two Guvnors in 2011 and sent him a card telling him she was his biggest fan. ‘Through her, he has met everyone,’ says the source.

James’ Carpool Karaoke has seen the funny-man bantering with megastars like Madonna, Britney Spears and Adele. 

Meanwhile stars among their closest circle include One Direction star Harry Styles, with Corden recently lending him his Palm Springs home while the musician was shooting his part in Wilde’s new movie.

His relationship with Mamma Mia star Dominic Cooper dates back to 2004 when they were rooming together and starring in The History Boys, a British campus comedy.  

Speaking of their days sharing a flat in London on James’ chat show, The Late Late Show, Dominic reminisced on how they would often sleep in the same bed due to the lack of furniture.

He said: ‘We were never there at the same time much, were we? But when we were, there was absolutely no furniture. 

We had a bed, one bed. We only had one piece of cutlery which was a spatula.

‘I remember one depressing evening, he caught me, he came home and I was eating baked beans with the spatula.’

James added: ‘We rented it furnished. It had no furniture in it and we never thought to complain.’

It was Dominic who introduced James to now wife Julia, who was an old school friend of his. 

He told People: ‘I said, ‘Hi, Jules. You might be the most beautiful woman in the world.’ She said, ‘Well, thank you very much. That sounds like something you say a lot.’ 

‘And I said, ‘I’ve never said it before in my life.’ That was it. That was it, really. I was in. And by an absolute miracle, so was she.’

Later, the two slinked off to a corner to plan the rest of their lives, with James revealing: ‘I remember saying to her, ‘Well, what about on Friday we could do nothing together? You could come over and we could just do nothing.

“And then maybe we could do nothing on Saturday, and we could do nothing on the Sunday. And if our evenings are enough of nothing, then maybe this would become something.”

‘And she said, ‘That sounds like a fun idea.’” 

James proposed on holiday in the Maldives in 2008, while Julia was expecting their eldest son Max.

They married in September 2012 at Babington House, with a spectacular guest list including Lara Stone, comedian Michael McIntyre, and Snow Patrol lead singer Gary Lightbody.

The couple also have two daughters, Charlotte, six, and Carey, three.

CLOSE FRIENDS WITH HARRY AND MEGHAN 

James and Prince Harry have been friends for years, telling People: ‘The friendship mostly started with being out and about the same places in London.’

The chat show host and his wife Julia attended the royal wedding to Meghan Markle in May 2018. 

The funnyman joined a whole galaxy of stars including George and Amal Clooney as well as David and Victoria Beckham. 

At the time, he described the nuptials, revealing: ‘It was so lovely. I’ve known Prince Harry about seven years now and it was wonderful.

‘It was one of the most beautiful ceremonies I’ve ever been to. It was gorgeous, it was a whole affair, it was happy, it was joyous, it was uplifting.’ 

James made a showstopping entrance to the palace afterparty as it was claimed he arrived at Prince Harry and Meghan‘s wedding reception dressed up as King Henry VIII.

At the time, People Magazine reported the presenter arrived last to the reception, clad in the monarch’s signature Tudor costume, saying he ‘didn’t know what to wear’. 

He said: ‘Harry asked me to do some kind of performance…it was fun, it was a really special day.’  

Meanwhile the presenter also stole the march on Oprah by airing his antics with Prince Harry days before the prime-time interview that enraged Buckingham Palace. 

In a wide-ranging chat mostly carried out on an open-top bus, the Duke of Sussex – or ‘Haz,’ as Corden calls him – reveals he went from ‘zero to sixty’ with Meghan and how the pressures of living in London were ‘destroying my mental health.’ 

HIS WIFE’S CELEBRITY INTERIORS COMPANY

While James has a successful acting and presenting career, his wife Julia runs a hugely successful and popular interior design company.

With a background in TV production, talent management and PR, she founded Charles & Co in 2016 with Vicky Charles, who was the design director for Soho House having worked for the group for 20 years.   

The pair were introduced by Soho House CEO Nick Jones and set up the business while Julia was taking time off to have her children.

She handles the business side of Charles & Co, recently telling The Telegraph her role is ‘to allow Vicky to be as creative as possible.’

High-profile clients include the Beckhams, the Clooneys, Emma Stone, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis. 

Builds for the pair usually include a ‘social, club-like spaces’ within their homes, including bars, wine cellars, playrooms and even libraries. 

Meanwhile others might value a recording studio, with Julia revealing: ‘Being able to record a little voiceover without having to leave your house can make a huge difference, especially if you live outside the city.’  

A WW SPONSORSHIP DEAL TO ADD TO HIS EARNINGS

Earlier this year, James was unveiled as the new ambassador for WW, previously known as Weight Watchers, after becoming ’embarrassed’ over his body. 

During a chat with Oprah Winfrey on WW’s Facebook page he revealed he ‘hates’ doing exercise but his wife Julia plans circuits for them to do. 

James revealed in the New Year that he has signed up to the health and fitness programme to help shift the conversation around wellness.

He said: ‘I want to change the way that I live. I want to be better for my children and for my family. I don’t want to wake up tired, or feel embarrassed when I’m chasing my son on the soccer field and out of breath after three minutes.’

James joins fellow stars DJ Khaled and Robbie Williams in representing the brand and using the platform to get in shape and change their lives.

The TV star, who first burst onto TV screens in scripted series Fat Friends in 2000, said: ‘The weight is not the issue, it’s the wellness of it I am ready to tackle. I’m going to take this year and work towards getting healthy… 

James has been candid about his weight struggles in the past and back in 2017 he shed six stone in weight and found major success in Hollywood, however he has also admitted the one food that he can’t stop eating is bread.

Speaking about the last time he was ‘off bread’ for dietary reasons, James recalled an incident while he was out at dinner saying: ”[I have] a sort of battle with food…

‘Then they delivered this basket of warm, fresh bread and we’re like, “It’s happening, we’re doing it. Who are we trying to kid?” ‘It’s our nemesis, it’s out to destroy us!’