James Corden's Gone All USA: But Which Other Comedy Brits Have Flown Across The Pond?
It looks like British favourite James Corden has successfully sealed his fate as another Brit over on American shores with his appointment as the new host of CBS’ Late Late Show all but confirmed by the broadcaster itself. Of course, just because he’s travelling over to the US to have a go in the host seat of a different studio does not automatically mean he’s going to be a hit and, so far, his selection has not been met with too raucous an applause, mainly because most Americans don’t know who he is.
James Corden is said to be the next host of American chat show, The Late Late Show
However, that’s not to say he won’t win his new state-side audience over because, if Corden has proved anything with his British career to date, it’s that he’s not too bad at his job.
Starting with Gavin and Stacey, the BAFTA awarding-winning comedy he starred in and co-wrote, he had a small dip with his next TV show attempt: Horne & Corden. However, he didn’t stay down for long and has been an enjoyable and more than capable host of Sky 1’s A League of their Own and handled five consecutive years of Brit Awards hosting with ease.
So it’s possible he’ll be a boy that’s done good in America after all but he’s not the first comedy actor to have tackled the USA and come out smiling.
Here are some of Britain’s best comedy acting exports.
Loved all over for his turn as Tim Canterbury in Ricky Gervais’ comedy mockumentary The Office, Martin Freeman’s career has skyrocketed since then, particularly into the American stratosphere.
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His international notoriety started small in Richard Curtis’ 2003 Christmas-themed romantic comedy, Love Actually and comic science fiction film, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy in 2005. More prominently he appeared in the final Simon Pegg and Nick Frost Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, The World’s End, in 2013.
Of course, what has pushed Freeman firmly into the international eye is his turn as Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy, of which the third and final film, The Battle of the Five Armies, is due to be released on 12 December in the UK and 17 December in the US.
His fame has also been heightened in the UK through his critically-acclaimed turn as Doctor Watson in the BBC’s Sherlock and in the US as Lester Nygaard in Fargo, complete with perfect South American drawl.
Another of Ricky Gervais’ comedic finds, Ashley Jensen appeared as socially inept but extremely well-meaning acting extra Maggie Jacobs in Extras. The critically-acclaimed show made the leap over to American soil shortly after its British success and Jensen received an Emmy nomination for her role.
Her comic ability clearly impressed American TV executives and Jensen was cast as Christina McKinney in the comedy-drama Ugly Betty. She appeared in seasons 1 - 3 as the Scottish seamstress and again for one episode in the fourth and final season.
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Next page: which others stars have made it across the pond?
Simon Pegg
Simon Pegg started his comedy acting in British sitcom Spaced with his frequent collaborators, actors Nick Frost and Jessica Hynes and director, Edgar Wright. The series was translated in an American remake of which neither Pegg nor any of the other British show creators were approached about but, fortunately, Pegg was able to make his mark on American TV without the help of his original show.
He entered US consciousness himself with his Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy of films: Shaun of the Dead in 2004; Hot Fuzz in 2007; and At World’s End in 2013.
Since then his film appearances have ranged from aliens on earth in Paul, to outer space adventures as Montgomery ‘Scotty’ Scott in Star Trek, to action spy thrillers as Benji Dunn in Mission Impossible.
In each, however, he has held firmly on to his hilarious comedic roots.
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An oldie but a goodie, Jane Leeves emigrated to the USA in the 1980s to pursue her desire to act and succeeded in achieving wide fame as Daphne Moon in the hugely popular Cheers spin off sitcom, Frasier.
Prior to that and back in Britain, however, she had started to make waves on the UK comedy scene with small roles in The Benny Hill Show and Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life.
But, once she achieved notoriety in Frasier she didn’t pause to look back and starred in motion picture hits including Miracle on 34th Street and James and the Giant Peach. A
fter a period of working behind the cameras, she returned to the spotlight in 2010 as Joy Scroggs in the widely praised American sitcom, Hot in Cleveland.