James Corden bags Golden Globe nomination for ‘borderline offensive’ portrayal of a gay man in The Prom
Jams Corden, Nicole Kidman, Andrew Rannells and Meryl Streep in The Prom (MELINDA SUE GORDON/NETFLIX © 2020)
James Corden has received a Golden Globe nomination for his critically-panned role as a gay actor in queer Netflix musical The Prom.
The Ryan Murphy-helmed musical received generally positive reviews, but was pulled down significantly by Corden’s odd performance as the effeminate Barry Glickman.
One reviewer named Corden as the film’s main “drawback”, saying his “horrifically bad” performance was “gross and offensive, the worst gayface in a long, long time.”
Corden’s role led to renewed discussions about whether it’s appropriate for straight actors to play gay roles – especially when they’re relying on camped-up stereotypes to do so.
However, as straight white men only fail upwards, Corden has somehow become the only member of the cast nominated for a Golden Globe on Wednesday (3 February), landing a nomination for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical.
Meanwhile, the musical’s other stars – including Meryl Streep, Andrew Rannells, Ariana DeBose and Jo Ellen Pellman – were all roundly snubbed, despite a positive reception for their roles.
James Corden Golden Globes nomination sparks anger.
The news of Corden’s nomination has sparked anger on Twitter.
One user asked: “So James Corden has just been nominated for a Golden Globe for his highly offensive portrayal of a gay man in The Prom. Is that a joke?”
A second quipped: “James Corden getting nominated for playing a gay man very badly in The Prom giving hope to all the smug under-achievers out there.”
James Corden has received a Golden Globe nomination for his critically-panned role in The Prom (MELINDA SUE GORDON/NETFLIX)
Another wrote: “James Corden!? Are you f**king serious? Arguably the most offensive performance of a gay man since Sacha Baron Cohen as Bruno. What’s worse is unlike Cohen, Corden’s performance isn’t just played for laughs.”
James Corden has defended his role in The Prom.
James Corden previously defended his role, saying: “[As an actor] you spend quite a long time, just personally, feeling like you might be able to have a bit more to give.
“Like you might be able to have a bit more depth and you want someone like Ryan [Murphy] to come along and drop a script in your lap like this.
“And then you go, ‘Oh God, what if I am not able to do these things?’ Ryan, I will be indebted to forever for his guidance, the way that he led me through it. The way he led me through it as a director, the way he led me through it as a friend, the way he led me through it as a gay man. And I’ll treasure those days.”
