From The History Boys to Barry! How solid from James Corden’s breakout position made visitor appearances in Gavin & Stacey finale

With its finale pulling in a staggering 12.3 million viewers, it’s safe to say that Gavin & Stacey captured the nation’s hearts this Christmas.

However, the long-running series, set between Barry Island, Wales and Billericay, Essex, isn’t the first time that many of the cast members had first worked together.

In the finale, James Corden, who wrote the series with Ruth Jones and plays Smithy, was joined by many of his co-stars from his 2006 breakout role in the theatre comedy-drama The History Boys.

Originally a play by Alan Bennett, which opened at the National Theatre in 2004, it was adapted into a 2006 film starring most of the original cast.

The film, which followed eight boys who were all hoping to get into either Oxford or Cambridge, launched the careers of many successful actors including Corden, Dominic Cooper, Jamie Parker and Russell Tovey.

Today, the cast members remain close friends, with James Corden, Andrew Knott, Russell Tovey and Samuel Anderson all starring in Gavin & Stacey together.

Adrian Scarborough, who played teacher Wilkes in the original film, was also cast in Gavin & Stacey as Peter Sutcliffe, the Shipmans’ family friend who has a tumultuous relationship with his ex-wife Dawn.

Here, FEMAIL reveals where the cast members of The History Boys are now – after many were spotted in the Gavin & Stacey finale…

JAMES CORDEN 

The most successful member of the original The History Boys cast is James Corden, who played the cheeky Timms.

The star, who is originally from Buckinghamshire, has built a very successful career since, appearing in British comedy sketch shows, co-writing sitcoms, and becoming a household name in America as the host of The Late Late Show from 2015 to 2023. 

Corden’s first acting roles came via parts in British soap opera Hollyoaks, Little Britain and Teachers. He also appeared in a commercial for soft drink brand Tango in 1998.

Before becoming a television sensation, the actor-turned-TV host also had a role as a BBC reporter, which saw him interview American rock singer Meat Loaf.

One of Corden’s best known pieces of work is his creation of the British sitcom Gavin & Stacey, which he first co-wrote with actress Ruth Jones in 2007. 

James starred in the comedy series as Smithy, who is Gavin’s best friend. 

The show won several awards including the Best New British Television Comedy at the 2007 British Comedy Awards and a BAFTA Audience Award for Programme of the Year.

James was also recognised for his role as Smithy and secured the Best Comedy Performance at the 2008 BAFTA awards, before claiming an OBE for services to drama in 2015.

Corden, who has three children with his wife Julia Carey, found further success in the US on The Late Late Show – which features him singing with stars in Carpool Karaoke.

He interviewed huge stars including Michelle Obama, Harry Styles, Adele, Mariah Carey and Madonna. 

The TV personality ended his run on US late night television after eight years in 2023 and returned to the UK.

He decided to quit the show because he wanted to spend more time with his family after a heartfelt conversation with his son, Max.

PR experts claimed Corden could be set for a big-money move to ITV and even replace rival Jonathan Ross as part of a charm offensive to ‘win back the British public’.

Away from the screen, Corden has faced negative press about his life away from the public eye, including a bust-up with the owner of a New York restaurant, Balthazar, who banned him for being rude to staff; he later apologised. 

The father-of-three from High Wycombe bid a tearful farewell to the States, where his wife Julia had set up a global interior design business that counts the Beckhams and the Clooneys among its clientele. 

However, on Christmas Day, James appeared to have been embraced by the nation once more as the Gavin & Stacey finale proved to be a huge hit with viewers.

The last ever episode of the show – which came five years after the most recent Christmas special – pulled in a massive 12.3 million viewers for the BBC. 

The show was the brainchild of James and co-star Ruth Jones who penned the finale in secret earlier this year. 

If it wasn’t for the Gavin & Stacey finale –  his big British comeback would almost certainly have been something of a damp squib, insiders say.

According to the Mail On Sunday, bringing back the show that made his name was one of the only things he could do that is guaranteed not only to be a hit but to catapult him back into the limelight.

A source said: ‘There was a huge expectation that James was going to get a big deal somewhere. He didn’t want the daily grind of doing a nightly show as it is a lot of work and is exhausting, but there was talk of some big projects.

‘Nothing materialised apart from an impressive, yet short, stint at a London theatre, which has been baffling for the television industry.

‘You have to wonder why. James loves the limelight, he loves being the centre of attention, but this was simply not happening. But then bang, out of the blue, Gavin & Stacey is back and James is back on the radar.’

Andrew Knott

Salford-born Andrew was a successful child actor playing roles in Black Beauty and Coronation Street.

He is known for portraying Dickon Sowerby in 1993 film adaptation, The Secret Garden, based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, and as Henry Green in the television drama series Where the Heart Is.

He was later cast as Lockwood, the thoughtful student who also participates in the class’s irreverent joking, in The History Boys.

The actor appeared in Gavin & Stacey as Dirtbox amongst other TV credits, including roles in Heartbeat, Peak Practice, Where the Heart Is, The Bill, Life on Mars, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Spooks: Code 9, Waterloo Road, The Village, Scott & Bailey and Babylon.

In the late 1990s, he played Liam Shepherd in Coronation Street, had a recurring role last year in Casualty and also starred alongside Rachel Weisz and Sam Claflin in Roger Michell’s film of Daphne du Maurier’s My Cousin Rachel.

In 2011, he appeared in The National Anthem, an episode of the anthology series Black Mirror on Netflix. 

More recently, he appeared in one episode of the LGBT miniseries Banana and guest starred on the BBC show Father Brown.

In 2018, he played Conrad Davis in the crime drama series Strangers alongside John Simm as Jonah Mulray.

Samuel Anderson 

Samuel Anderson, 42, played aspiring actor and theatre buff Crowther in Alan Bennett’s OG production.

He is one of the quieter students in the class and eventually becomes a magistrate.

Like many of his castmates, the release of the film in 2006 kickstarted a successful career for Anderson, who now has many TV roles under his belt.

And like his peers, he also ended up in the cast of Gavin & Stacey, as part of Gavin and Smithy’s friendship group.

Playing the womaniser member of the group named ‘Fingers’, he appeared in several episodes of the BBC comedy series in plotlines where the lads had nights out to celebrate milestones in Gavin’s life, including his stag do and wedding.

Elsewhere, Anderson’s face has popped up in several TV shows including Loaded, in which he played one of four friends who become multi-millionaires after selling their video game company for £246 million.

In 2023, the actor who hails from Birmingham, also appeared in Red Rose, a BBC teen cyber-horror in which a group of friends from school are terrorised by a malevolent presence behind an app on their phones.

He played Vinny Mason, whose daughter Rochelle became the first victim of Red Rose. 

His career success extends beyond the BBC as he has also starred in Netflix sci-fi series Another Life, alongside Katee Sackhoff. 

In addition to these credits, Anderson also played DC Paul Wilkie in Landscapers, a drama about Susan and Christopher Edwards, who murdered William and Patricia Wycherley in 1998.

Russell Tovey

Russell Tovey, 43, who is from Billericay, Essex, played the hardworking Rudge in The History Boys before going on to play Budgie in Gavin & Stacey.

In the wake of The History Boys, he was tipped to take over from David Tennant as Dr Who, but when the role went to Matt Smith, he boosted his profile in the cult sitcom Him and Her, and George the Werewolf in Being Human.

Russell came out as gay when he was 18 but didn’t begin to take on homosexual acting roles until he was aged 30 – a decision which he said ‘made his career’.

‘It wasn’t a conscious decision,’ he told The Guardian in 2017.  ‘And it was only the other day that I realised it had been important somehow.

‘For so long, as a young actor, I had this anxiety about making sure I could get straight roles, and now I know that’s not necessary. The gay roles are the best for me. Being gay has made my career,’ he added.

He was nominated for a 2020 Critics’ Choice award for best supporting actor in Years and Years.

In 2018, the art lover launched the podcast Talk Art with gallerist Robert Diament co-hosting. 

He appeared as Henry Knight on BBC shows Sherlock and The Job Lot, as well as playing Harry Doyle in US TV show Quantico. 

He voiced The Ray in Freedom Fighters: The Ray and played the titular role in Shane the Chef.

He is also known for playing the role of werewolf George Sands in the BBC’s supernatural comedy-drama Being Human.

Russell, who starred on four episodes of Gavin & Stacey between 2007 and 2009, appeared in the latest special during Smithy’s stag do.

Over the Christmas period, Russell celebrated the finale and took to Instagram to share behind the scenes snaps from their time filming.

He shared snaps on set of the pub, writing: ‘Love my boys – so proud to have been part of this magic from the very beginning – what a privilege – Gavin & Stacey forever!!’

Adrian Scarborough 

Known for a scene where he preached about religion to the boisterous boys, many may wonder where PE teacher Mr Wilkes is now?

Since his role in Alan Bennett’s production, Adrian became one of the many cast members to appear in Gavin & Stacey, which first aired in 2007, a year after the film.

He plays Peter Sutcliffe, who is married to Dawn, played by Julia Davis, but the pair are constantly arguing, despite renewing their vows in one of the episodes. 

Elsewhere, in 2019, Scarborough was Villanelle’s handler ‘Raymond’ in the second season of the TV show Killing Eve.

Fans who had only seen the actor in comedies would have seen a different side to him in this role, as a violent and controlling character. 

He also played a paramedic called Gary in Bloods, which first aired in 2021 on Sky.

The comedy follows Gary and Kareshma, another paramedic played by Aasiya Shah, as they respond to 999 calls in South London.

Adrian is also the lead in The Chelsea Detective, where he acts as Detective Inspector Max Arnold, who investigates crimes in the Chelsea borough of London.

He lives on a battered houseboat in Chelsea’s Cheyne Walk, which contrasts with the affluent elite whose crimes he helps solve alongside partner D.C. Priya Shamsie, played by Sonita Henry.

In the latest Gavin & Stacey episode, Adrian was back in character as Peter Sutcliffe. 

A break-up was on the horizon between Dawn and Pete last time viewers saw them, but thankfully Pam and Mick were able to save them from the brink of divorce once again.

And fans were delighted to see that not only are the fiery couple back for the finale, but they are also back to their usual bickering ways.

Dominic Cooper

Dominic Cooper, who is from Greenwich, played leader of the boys Dakin in The History Boys.

The History Boys gave Cooper his breakthrough, a launch pad from which he has been propelled into stardom.

When the play opened, Cooper was a relative unknown – a graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art with a critically well-received role in Band Of Brothers under his belt.

The star shared a flat with James Corden for many years and the pair are still close friends today.

Dominic has also had a successful career including a role as Hippolytus opposite Helen Mirren at the National Theatre, and Sky in the screen version of the Abba musical Mamma Mia! 

Cooper’s performance in the film and his origination of the role on London’s West End led to a steady stream of work in BBC co-productions.

He also landed supporting roles in period dramas on both the big and small screen, ranging from The Duchess in 2008, to Sense and Sensibility, and the charming 1960s coming-of-age feature, An Education in 2009. 

In 2011, he played the leading roles of Latif Yahia and Uday Hussein in the biographical film The Devil’s Double, which was criticized for whitewashing.

In 2011, the actor, 46, also appeared as Howard Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

However, most of the world knows him for his roles in the comic book realm, with his portrayal of a young Howard Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and his memorable take on the Reverend Jesse Custer in AMC’s Preacher TV series.

In 2015, he acted in two films: romantic comedy-drama Miss You Already and comedy-drama The Lady in the Van.

The latter film was directed by Nicholas Hytner, who had previously directed Cooper in the stage adaption of His Dark Materials.

He was able to replicate his success in theatre as well and acted in several memorable stage productions, including the Royal National Theatre’s adaptation of the His Dark Materials trilogy, in which he played the lead role.

In 2023, it was reported that Dominic’s latest series The Gold has been renewed for a second series.

The crime series is based on the infamous £26 million Brink’s-Mat heist in 1983 and stars Jack Lowden and Hugh Bonneville.

Jack plays Kenneth Noye, the ambitious crook who arranged for most of the £26million in gold bars to be melted down and sold.

Samuel Barnett

Samuel Barnett, 44, who was born in Whitby, spent his twenties playing Posner in Nicholas Hytner’s production of The History Boys.

He was involved from the first reading, did the play at the National and in the West End, toured with it to Broadway – where he was nominated for a Tony award – as well as in Australia and Hong Kong, and starred in the 2006 film, also directed by Hytner. 

He was nominated for an Evening Standard Best Supporting Actor award in 2002 for his performance in The Marriage of Figaro. 

In 2009, Barnett played John Everett Millais in the BBC series Desperate Romantics and Joseph Severn in the film.

He later appeared in Mark Rylance’s acclaimed all-male Twelfth Night and Richard III at Shakespeare’s Globe and in New York, and in Desperate Romantics and Penny Dreadful on TV.

In 2016, he played the main character – a detective who relies on coincidence to solve cases – in Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, based on the books by Douglas Adams.

He later starred in Neil McKay’s BBC drama about the multiple police failings in the case of Stephen Port, who killed four young gay men.

Other notable credits include roles in the BBC comedy ‘Twenty Twelve’ and he also starred as Renfield in Showtime’s ‘Penny Dreadful’.

He won Best Newcomer & Best Supporting Actor in a play at the Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers Choice Awards for his work on the original production of The History Boys.

In 2022, he starred as Ryan Edwards in BBC One’s crime drama ‘Four Lives’, based on the true story of the Barking murders, alongside Stephen Marchant and Sheridan Smith. 

Jamie Parker

Jamie Parker’s ability to play the piano saw him cast as the musical Scripps in The History Boys. 

Following The History Boys, he starred in The Revenger’s Tragedy, Proof and Assassins. 

The star built a successful stage career, playing Henry IV and Henry V at Shakespeare’s Globe and in 2015, he starred in High Society at the Old Vic.

While he also put his vocal talents to good use in musicals from Guys and Dolls to High Society. 

However, he is best known for his role as Harry Potter in the original cast for the West End play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, for which he received a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Play and a WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actor in a Play.

Outside of the theatre, Parker has acted in various television shows including Endeavour, Silent Witness and the historical thriller film Valkyrie.

James also played Benjamin Button in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button at Southwark Playhouse Elephant last year.

He performed several of Frank Sinatra’s songs for the BBC Prom in 2015 at the Prom 30: The John Wilson Orchestra Performs Frank Sinatra.

Speaking to the Evening Standard About being a ‘triple threat’ he said: ‘I like being able to turn my hand but I’m always aware of not being good enough at any of them. I miss the generation of actors such as John Mills, where it doesn’t surprise you at all when he crops up in a film tap-dancing.’ 

However, he previously worried about getting typecast as a stage performer.

He said: ‘I think you need to be very careful of getting ‘stuck’ in musical theatre, people in the industry like to know what product it is that you’re selling.’ 

Sacha Dhawan 

Sacha, from Stockport, played the Muslim student Akhtar in The History Boys, who eventually becomes the headmaster of a school. 

Dhawan has since played Paul Jatri in the BBC One comedy-drama Last Tango in Halifax in 2012.

He also played Waris Hussein in the BBC Two docudrama An Adventure in Space and Time in 2013.

Elsewhere, he played Davos in the Marvel series Iron Fist in 2018 and later Orlo and The Master in the science fiction series Doctor Who.

He performed as the Doctor’s alter ego and returned to the role in 2022 to star in Doctor Who: The Power of The Doctor, the epic feature length finale for the thirteenth doctor, as part of the BBC’s centenary celebrations. 

He is also known for playing Catherine’s great ally Orlo in Hulu’s Emmy winning epic anti-historical drama The Great.

It was based on the rise of Catherine The Great of Russia. As part of the ensemble on The Great he received a nomination for a Screen Actors Guild Award in both 2021 and 2022.

He first played The Master back in 2020 in the Spyfall specials. 

Sacha previously starred in Line of Duty as Prasad, who was one of the Central Police officers who were involved with Tommy Hunter’s criminal underworld.

Sacha is also known for his starring role in the 2017 film The Boy with the Topknot. 

In 2023 he starred in a new 6-part BBC crime thriller Wolf which is based on Mo Hayder’s acclaimed Jack Caffery novels. 

He plays Detective Inspector Honey who is working on a chilling crime in remote Monmouthshire where a wealthy family are being held hostage by a cruel psychopath 

Stephen Campbell Moore

Stephen Campbell Moore plays the pivotal teacher in The History Boys, Irwin, who encourages his pupils to explore viewpoints that are not generally accepted.

As the temporary teacher influences the boys, he is also influenced by them, and becomes seduced by Cooper’s Dakin – though the pair never follow through with their plans to have sex. 

Throughout the film Irwin struggles with his sexuality as he tries to prepare the boys for their Oxbridge entrance exams.

Since the film was released on 2006, Campbell Moore has starred in several small screen productions including 1980s drama Ashes to Ashes and a production of War of the Worlds. 

He was also enlisted for another of Alan Bennett’s productions, The Lady in the Van, starring Maggie Smith, in 2015.

In his personal life, the actor was married to The Crown’s Claire Foy, after the pair met onset of a film called Season of the Witch.

They share a daughter, Ivy Rose Moore, who was born in 2015. The couple later separated.

However, in 2017 Campbell Moore met fellow actor Sophie Cookson on set of Red Joan and the pair got together, welcoming a child in 2020.

The couple ended up starring in another production together after their romance began – The Confessions of Frannie Langton as Madame Benham and George Benham.