James Corden Was Almost a Hobbit

The film franchise based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy adventure series apparently cast a wide net for the film’s team of Hobbits to venture across Middle Earth. James Corden auditioned for the role of hobbit Samwise Gamgee, Frodo’s loyal gardener friend.

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Showcasing his Middle-Earth accent, which is one of the reasons he didn’t land the part, Corden recounted his auditions were “not good.” After two callbacks, the role went to Sean Astin, The Goonies actor who would become known and loved as Frodo’s vaguely homoerotic partner in crime.

Corden does not harbor any hard feelings over losing the role and was a fan of the franchise up until its last iteration.

Everything happens for a reason. Corden moved on from his Lord of the Rings snub to host The Late Late Show.

Now, Corden is moving on from the talk show, having announced in the fall that his contract, which began in 2015, will come to a close in Spring 2023 and he’ll start a new chapter in his career.

While he has a long acting career, including starring in the infamous Cats, Corden’s plans are more behind the scenes. He told Deadline he hopes to try his hand at writing after The Late Late Show.

"There's still some other things that I feel I want to do," he told Deadline. "I'd like to try and write. There's some [stories] I'd like to tell. I'd like to see if I'm capable of it. The fact that it's terrifying is the reason to do it."

Who knows, maybe he’ll write his own Lord of the Rings-esque saga and finally get to fill the role he lost and bring his career full circle.

Photo courtesy of Carl Timpone/BFA