James Corden is beloved by people as the host of The Late Late Show, which he has been hosting since 2015. Though his adorable parents often make appearances on the show, Corden was in his late thirties when he found mainstream success in the United States, which means most people don’t know much about his early years, and people often wonder whether or not Corden attended college.
James Corden did not go to college. After graduating from high school, Corden immediately started pursuing acting professionally, snagging his first stage appearance with a one-line part at the age of 18. Though it was an inauspicious start, Corden worked steadily over the next two decades before finding superstardom on the late night show circuit.
From High School to Hollywood
Corden paid his dues by working on a variety of television shows, commercials, and independent films before finding mild success with Fat Friends.
In 2004, Corden was cast as Timms in The History Boys, which follows a group of teenage boys as they prepare to apply to prestigious universities. The play was a smash hit among theater-goers and Corden reprised his role in the Broadway production.
Despite his success on stage, it wasn’t until James Corden co-created the hit U.K. show, Gavin and Stacey, that he came to prominence in the British media. The show was a critical and commercial hit, but Corden was still relatively unknown across the pond.
That all changed, of course, when Corden was chosen to replace Craig Ferguson as the host to The Late Late Show when Ferguson decided to call it quits. Corden debuted as the new host in 2015 and has been a Hollywood staple ever since, even renewing his contract again to remain as host until 2022.
College Cheer
That is not to say some of his celebrity guests have not tried to immerse Corden in the college lifestyle. When Gabrielle Union, who is married to NBA player Dwayne Wade, appeared on The Late Late Show, she tried to help Corden pick a college sports team the host could cheer on.
You can see the funny segment where Corden learns about college football teams in the YouTube video below.
College Graduates and University Dropouts
Funny segments aside, given Corden’s busy schedule, it’s no surprise that attending college was not a priority, but that is not to say there are not a bevy of talk show hosts who took the alternate route. Below is a list of some of the best and brightest college-educated talk show hosts and some who followed Corden’s footsteps and went straight to work:
Oprah Winfrey is the most successful talk show host in the history of television. Her show ran for 25 years before she decided to retire, but before she became one of the most powerful women in the world, Oprah attended Tennessee State University with a full-ride scholarship, where she began her career as a newscaster at a local radio station.
Jimmy Kimmel, another late night show host titan, tried his hand at college, but ultimately it did not pan out. He briefly attended the University of Nevada and Arizona State University, before leaving school to start his own show.
Jimmy Fallon attended The College of St. Rose in the early nineties, but dropped out one semester shy of graduation. Despite the setback, Fallon opted to return to school after rising to fame, and he finally got his communications degree 17 years after he dropped out.
Ellen DeGeneres attended college in Louisian, but dropped out after one semester at the University of New Orleans. Though she toiled in the comedy world for years before getting her own talk show, she’s amassed a veritable fortune with a net worth estimated to be $300 million.
Jon Stewart, the sharp-witted former host of The Daily Show, attended the College of William and Mary, where he was briefly in a fraternity. Though he might not have loved the frat life, he graduated from the university with a degree in psychology.
Conan O’Brien attended Harvard and graduated magna cum laude. He’s not only a popular late night show host, but has an Ivy League education.
Even though Corden did not attend college, he is certainly in good company with many other talk show hosts who did not attend, or dropped out to pursue their dreams of being in the entertainment business.