After that chance meeting at the Met Ball,Corden invited Butterworth,his wife (the actress Laura Donnelly) and their young children to his house in Los Angeles. Six weeks later,Butterworth told Corden he had a six-part series all written – and asked,would Corden like to play the lead? “I remember,I read it in what felt like four minutes,” says Corden,“and I was like,‘Oh my God,this is everything I’ve ever wanted to do’.”
Butterworth describesMammals thus:“What if you had a story that was about sexual,emotional relationships,but the motor of that story was plotted and paced like a thriller? So,rather than people sitting around talking about their wives and their worries – ‘She doesn’t understand me!’ and ‘Why won’t he do this?’ – what if it’s a balls-to-the-wall,burning-through-plot story that you couldn’t stop watching?”
Among all of that,it’s strange,initially,to see Corden back on television as an actor. The last time,if you’re British,was probably in the 2019Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special,butMammals is a reminder that he really is a terrific performer:Butterworth didn’t want him for his celebrity.
Melia Kreiling,who plays his onscreen wife,says,“It’s very funny how many people I’ve told about this weren’t aware of how extensive his acting work is.” Colin Morgan,who plays Jamie’s brother-in-law,Jeff,agrees. “I actually only know James from his acting,” he says. “One of my favourite things I’d seen him in was the Mike Leigh filmAll or Nothing,which he did when he was really young. Everybody in that is just astoundingly brilliant.”
Also in that film is a young Sally Hawkins,who rekindled her friendship with Corden after a skit onThe Late Late Show spoofing her Oscar-winning filmThe Shape of Water,and now appears inMammals playing his sister.
“James is a phenomenal actor,” she says. “I think people forget that. We first met doingAll or Nothing. We weren’t kids,but it felt like kids together. And when you’re working on Mike Leigh,you have all that in-depth rehearsal where you learn so much. James is incredibly smart,incredibly sensitive,and I think it’s so nice that some people will see that for the first time here.”
“I look for collaborators,” says Butterworth. “And I look for actors who are telling the truth. He strikes me as one of the absolute best straight actors. I think some of the stuff that he does inGavin and Stacey is just some of the truest stuff I’ve seen. And at the same time,he’s completely fearless in what he’s willing to reveal. He’ll take risks.”
It may be strange to say it of a multimillionaire,butMammals is a bit of a risk for Corden. He could have hung ontoThe Late Late Show gig,massaging celebrity egos,for as long as he wished (with,apparently,an eye-watering pay rise),but he has chosen,again,to put himself out there.
“I feel constantly unsure,” he says. “But then I’m a bit over the notion of imposter syndrome – that’s just being a human being. I don’t know anybody that doesn’t have that. I love hosting my show. I adore it. But I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I’m keen to seek new challenges.
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“I just love performing so much. I absolutely love it,I adore it. And so when an opportunity like this comes up,I couldn’t say no.”
Telegraph,London
Mammals is on Amazon Prime Video.
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