James Corden Says He Was Originally 'Going to Play' Brendan Fraser's Role in The Whale

JB Lacroix/WireImage; A24

James Corden once considered playing Brendan Fraser's role in The Whale.

Last Friday, Deadline's awards columnist Pete Hammond penned a column in which he wrote that Corden, 44, recently told him that he was at one point attached to star in the movie as lead character Charlie.

"I was going to play that part, and Tom Ford was going to direct," Corden told Deadline, though he noted that the project did not come together under the Nocturnal Animals director because Ford wanted "more complete control" over the movie.

Corden also said during the conversation that George Clooney was at one point interested in making the movie, but only if the project could cast an actual 600-lb. actor to match the character's physical appearance, the outlet reported.

Hammond added in the column that director Darren Aronofsky, who spent roughly a decade working on developing The Whale from a stage play to the screen, confirmed Corden's account of his brief attachment to the movie.

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As far as Clooney's reported interest in casting a 600-lb. unknown actor to star in the movie, Aronofsky, 53, told Variety in an October cover story that he too at first searched for an actor who more closely resembled Charlie's appearance before he turned to casting Fraser, 54.

Courtesy of A24 Brendan Fraser in The Whale (2022)

"There was a chapter in the making of this film where we tried to research obese actors," the director said, addressing backlash over Fraser's portrayal. "Outside of not being able to find an actor who could pull off the emotions of the role, it just becomes a crazy chase."

"Like, if you can't find a 600-lb. actor, is a 300-lb. actor or 400-lb. actor enough?" Aronofsky added.

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Aronofsky added that "from a health perspective, it's prohibitive," saying, "It's an impossible role to fill with a real person dealing with those issues."

Corden's comments regarding The Whale are not the first time he has spoken of a film role he missed out on his career recently. Last Tuesday, the Late Late Show host said on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that he was once among "every single person in London" who "auditioned for Lord of the Rings," which was one of his first film tryouts.

Dia Dipasupil/Getty, Pierre Vinet/New Line/Saul Zaentz/Wing Nut/Kobal/Shutterstock James Corden (L); Sean Astin as Samwise Gamgee

RELATED: The Whale Director Darren Aronofsky Says Backlash to Brendan Fraser's Casting 'Makes No Sense to Me'

"I auditioned for Samwise [Gamgee]," Corden said about the part of the hobbit character that eventually went to Sean Astin. "I was doing the accent and everything: 'Mr Frodo!' "

Calling his audition "not good," Corden went on to reveal he tried out with two friends and that they "all got called back the next day" and the day after that as well.

But, "None of us got called back after that," he said with a laugh, adding that he "very much enjoy(s)" the Lord of the Rings films today, with no hard feelings.