Watch Katie Couric’s Epic, Death-Defying Prank on James Corden
New Late Late Show host James Corden almost didn’t survive his second week as host after a death-defying prank by Katie Couric.
After introducing the author and Yahoo News anchor, the camera panned to what appeared to be Couric fixing her shoe, tripping and falling down the stairs. As Couric laid on the ground motionless, the music stopped and Corden rushed over, panicked, to see if she was okay.
“Up here, James,” the real Couric said from atop the stairs while her stuntwoman doppelgänger revealed herself. “April Fool’s!” Corden clutched his hands to his heart before lifting Couric up and bringing her to the chair. “That was the most terrifying thing,” the host said. “I can’t breathe. That’s my worst nightmare. We were talking about those stairs and I thought, ‘Oh my God. Katie Couric just died.'”
Corden seemed less terrified on his first show last week, when the host welcomed Tom Hanks to recreate most of his filmography in less than seven minutes. Hanks and Corden rocketed through movies like Forrest Gump, A League of Their Own and Big, during which the pair expertly recreated the “Down Down Baby” rap and dance. Hanks also allowed for clever twists on some of his most famous pictures, proclaiming during the Saving Private Ryan segment that the guy they’re searching for “looks a little like Matt Damon!”