Actual Tom Cruise performed on stage in The Lion King with James Corden (Picture: CBS)
James Corden’s The Late Late Show has delivered the crossover we never knew we needed by transforming Tom Cruise into a The Lion King icon.
The Gavin and Stacey actor, 44, has been at the helm of the late-night US programme for nearly eight years and used one of his final outings to get ‘revenge’ on the Mission Impossible actor, 60.
Tom has previously appeared on the long-running chat show and had put James through his paces with some stomach-turning stunts like piloting fighter jets and skydiving.
But for an hour-long special, which aired before the main CBS show, James turned things down a notch by securing the Top Gun star a starring role in The Lion King at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood.
The duo, to the surprise of the audience first appear on stage as a rhino – sharing a costume – before James revealed to Tom that’s not all he has in store
‘The was amazing, I’m so proud of you,’ James told Tom as he delivered the final blow: ‘We’re not done. You’re not longer a rhino now you’re Pumbaa.’
We need a The Lion King sequel now with Tom (Picture: CBS)
James and Tom first appear on stage as an elephant (Picture: CBS)
The audience were shocked to catch a glimpse of Tom (Picture: CBS)
They had no idea a Hollywood legend would be joining the performance (Picture: CBS)
James and the Oblivion star headed backstage into the dressing room to transform into meerkat Timon and warthog Pumbaa but Tom starts getting stage fright.
Giving him a pep talk, James said: ‘Repeat after me. Patti LuPone. Bernadette Peters. May Bette Midler be with you.’
As they approached the stage James asked Tom: ‘Are you ready baby?’ with a terrified Tom simply responded: ‘Hmm.’
James gives Tom a pep talk before returning to The Lion King (Picture: CBS)
James and Tom transform into Timon and Pumbaa (Picture: CBS)
But the Hollywood icon soon warmed up as the pair belted out The Lion King’s classic tune Hakuna Matata as the audience screamed.
After taking a final bow, the audience gave James and Tom a much-deserved standing ovation.
Perhaps this could be a new career path for Tom who described the performance as ‘amazing’ before revealing he had been asked to go for post-show drinks with a ‘couple of hyenas.’
In the final Carpool Karaoke segment, meanwhile, previously released online, global megastar Adele returned to the car, this time ‘driving’ James to work.
Adele arrived at James’ home, waking him up with cymbals, before starting the trip, during which they sang several of her hits and a musical number, and reminisced about the past eight years of his tenure on The Late Late Show.
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The pair later became emotional while singing a rendition of Adele’s I Drink Wine – with the singer explaining that the lyrics to the song had partly been inspired by a conversation they had once had.
The Late Late Show with James Corden airs on CBS in the US.
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