Late-night TV personality James Corden once auditioned for a key role in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, but for better or for worse, he didn’t get the part. In the films, the role of Samwise Gamgee is played by Sean Astin with the actor appearing in all three installments. Many fans would say this was perfect casting, but if Astin hadn’t auditioned, it’s possible that Corden could have landed the role instead.

Per Variety, Corden appeared as a guest on the Happy Sad Confused podcast to speak with Josh Horowitz. Corden confirmed that he auditioned for The Lord of the Rings, noting that he particularly tried to get Astin’s role. Along with some friends of his, Corden says he made it as far as getting two callbacks before getting cut from the running.

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Here’s what Corden said when asked how the audition went:

Corden says that he didn’t let getting passed over affect his enjoyment of the movies, and he went out and saw them as everyone else did at the time. Though, he goes on to joke that the third installment was perhaps not quite as entertaining as the previous two.

James Corden Later Appeared in Other Films

     Universal Pictures

Corden wasn’t cast in The Lord of the Rings, but his acting endeavors weren’t over. He’d go on to appear in many different films and TV shows in the coming years, popping up in movies like Gulliver’s Travels, The Three Musketeers, and Ocean’s 8. More recently, he appeared in the movie adaptation of Cats, Ryan Murphy’s musical The Prom, and Prime Video’s new take on Cinderella starring Camila Cabello, a film he also produced. Corden also hosted Friends: The Reunion for HBO Max last year, also appearing in and producing the Prime Video series Mammals.

Of course, Corden is best known for his presence on late night television, though that will soon be coming to an end. Since 2015, he has been hosting The Late Late Show with James Corden, his “Carpool Karaoke” segments with celebrities often going viral during that time. But his era ends in 2023, as Corden recently announced that he will be leaving his series next year.

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