Bryan Cranston Thought James Corden Was a Waiter When They First Met
James Corden admitted he's never been more "starstruck" than when he ran into Bryan Cranston at a Los Angeles restaurant — but the feeling wasn't mutual.
The British star told the story while both men were on Today to promote separate projects.
"The first time I ever met Bryan Cranston [was] a huge moment in my life," he expressed. "My wife and I had gone to Los Angeles for the first time in our lives, and we’d spent the entire morning watching Season 2 of Breaking Bad."
The couple then went out for lunch, where the dad-of-three, 45, saw the Malcolm in the Middle alum, 67, walk into the same place they were dining.
"To this day, I have never been as starstruck as I was in that moment," Corden shared.
However, their interaction didn't go as planned. "I went over, I said ‘Bryan…’" Corden explained, with Cranston interrupting to add, "And then I immediately say, ‘Could I have some more coffee?’"
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The two laughed before the English comedian continued his tale.
"I said, ‘Bryan, you don’t know me, I’m an actor in the United Kingdom and I was watching the show this morning. Your performance is incredible.’ And he said ‘Thank you, can I get a Diet Coke with no ice?’" the former late night talk show host recalled, revealing Cranston mistook him for a waiter.
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Oddly enough, it was another story about Corden at an eatery that led to scandal, as in 2022, Balthazar restaurateur Keith McNally banned him for his hotspot after he was allegedly rude to employees.
"James Corden is a Hugely gifted comedian, but a tiny Cretin of a man," McNally shared on social media. "And the most abusive customer to my Balthazar servers since the restaurant opened 25 years ago."
Corden addressed the situation on an episode of his show.
"As my dad pointed out to me on Saturday — he said, 'Son, well, you did complain, so you might need to explain.' Look, when you make a mistake, you've gotta take responsibility. So I thought I would, if it's OK, share with you what happened," he spilled of the ordeal.
According to Corden, the place got his wife's order wrong three times, which didn't sit well with him since she has an allergy. As a result, he "made a sarcastic, rude comment about cooking it myself," he confessed.
"It is a comment I deeply regret. I understand the difficulties of being a server. I worked shifts at restaurants for years," he said. "I have such respect, and I value anyone that does such a job. And the team at that restaurant are so great. That's why I love it there."
However, the TV star insisted he never shouted at anyone.
"I didn’t get up out of my seat. I didn’t call anyone names or use derogatory language. I’ve been walking around thinking that I hadn’t done anything wrong, right, but the truth is I have," he confessed. "I made a rude comment and it was wrong, it was an unnecessary comment, it was ungracious to the server."
After that, several people came out with their own accusations against Corden, including Melanie "Mel B." Brown, who called him "the biggest d------- in Hollywood."