Monday was late-night host James Corden’s 38th birthday, so to celebrate, the Internet did its best to dig up his most embarrassing moments. Exhibit A: BBC released archival footage of an interview the comedian conducted with rock star Meat Loaf over two decades ago. Turns out, Corden has been perfecting his interviewing style for quite some time. (Spoiler alert: there’s nothing at all embarrassing to see here, except for your average awkward teen pretending to be a very serious grownup.)
In the throwback clip from 1995, Corden and Meat Loaf sit down over a proper English breakfast spread. Highlights include Corden inducing Meat Loaf to literally bang his head against the table, and Corden receiving some very earnest advice from the rocker. (That advice? “Never give up. Never quit.”) Corden, who now hobnobs in his car with the likes of Michelle Obama and Adele, took that and has run with it ever since. His voice hasn’t changed at all in the last 20 years, either… although he’s a little looser these days. Check out the making of a star:
And when Meat Loaf saw that the interview was recirculating, he took to Twitter to send a shout-out in Corden’s direction. Is a follow-up in the cards?
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Write to Raisa Bruner at raisa.bruner@time.com