‘The Sopranos’: Will Arnett’s Risky Joke Got Him a Part on the Show — Watch

Continuing the time-tested late night tradition of “reminding people of things they did when they were younger,” Will Arnett found himself talking about his brief stint on “The Sopranos” as part of Thursday’s episode of “The Late Late Show with James Corden.” Though his reticence to make eye contact with a still frame of him in his early-2000s getup is understandable to anyone who’s been shown a Facebook Memory from more than 10 years ago, Corden’s question about his time on the HBO show did lead to a solid story.

Arnett explained how his disarming joke in an audition for a casting director, as well as series creator David Chase himself, may have been the thing that got him the part.

He went on to play a married FBI agent in a pair of episodes at the beginning of the show’s fourth season. While he may not have had the same “Why not?” attitude the day of the audition as he does now, being so cavalier was a pretty substantial risk, even for an actor who had already played a Mark Twain enthusiast on “Sex and the City.”

In typical “Late Late Show” fashion, Arnett wasn’t alone on the interview couch, sharing it with fellow sitcom vet Matt LeBlanc. The “Friends” star took his own turn on the weird credits wheel, reliving his experience on a music video for Alanis Morissette. Before she switched from aspiring Canadian pop idol to legendary singer/songwriter and before he landed his iconic “Friends” role, LeBlanc had a speaking part in the video for her 1991 pop song “Walk Away.”

Whether they’re performatively embarrassed by their past career or not, it’s probably safe to say that both of these guys’ careers turned out OK.

Watch the full “Late Late Show” interview clip below: