James Corden recalls auditioning for lead role in ‘The Whale’

James Corden revealed he lost major role in The Whale, which marked Brendan Fraser’s hit comeback in Hollywood.

The famous TV talk show host, 44, who recently revealed that he almost played Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, recalled how close he got to play the lead-role in The Whale.

Speaking to Deadline, Corden said that he had been up for Fraser’s lead role in the film in an earlier iteration of the project.

“I was going to play that part, and Tom Ford was going to direct,” he said, adding that the project collapsed because Ford demanded too much creative control.

The Whale, based on the play by Samuel D. Hunter, was later directed by Darren Aronofsky.

Corden also shared that at one point George Clooney considered directing the film, though he exited the project because he was only willing to make the film if he could cast an unknown actor who actually weighed 600 pounds.

In The Whale, Fraser donned prosthetics for the role, playing an English teacher who reconnects with his estranged teenage daughter.

The Whale is widely hailed as Fraser's comeback movie, for his acclaimed central performance.