RICHARD Attenborough, Bob Hoskins, Mike Leigh and James Corden. James who?

He is a 22-year-old actor from Hazlemere who is rubbing shoulders with the best of British talent.

James is on our small screens playing the class swot Jeremy in the Channel 4 drama series Teachers.

The drama is a light-hearted account of a group of young teachers at a comprehensive school who have as many problems as the pupils after school.

"I don't do a lot in it but it was a joy shooting for three months in Bristol. There was a young cast and crew and there was a real camaraderie among everyone. I think it's a really well-made drama and I'm not surprised it's doing really well."

Now he has just landed the job of his dreams, working with film director Mike Leigh and is at the moment rehearsing the director's next project.

James says: "I have wanted to work with Mike Leigh since the age of 15, I saw Life is Sweet and Secrets and Lies and all the rest of his films and I set myself a goal of working with him before the age of 25.

"He'd seen me in a few things beforehand and gave me call. I couldn't believe it. I thought 'yes' here's my opportunity but then I thought 'what if I'm not up to the job'?

"The audition was exhausting. I went three times but then I didn't hear anything for quite a long time. Then he called and he wanted me to join up. It was a great feeling."

Mike Leigh, who also directed Topsy Turvy, Naked and Career Girls, never releases any information about a film until its completed and the actors improvise many of the scenes. Filming starts in June and is expected to last six months.

"It's a really intense, organic way of working," James explains. "There are no rules or restrictions and he just likes to get a group of actors and trusts them to see what they come up with."

James trained at the Jackie Palmer Stage School and attended Holmer Green Upper School.

A couple of years ago he became a well-known face on television as the kid in the Tango advertisement.

His big break came when he was cast in the musical Martin Guerre and then he landed a role in British director Shane Meadows' Twenty Four Seven starring Bob Hoskins.

"Shane Meadows was fantastic. He's just one of the boys and he's not interested in making big-budget films that don't mean anything. It's a great film and everyone seemed to like it."

Since then James has also starred in the film Whatever Happened to Harold Smith and his TV work has included the hugely successful Boyz Unlimited, Hollyoaks and Fat Friends for which he was nominated as best newcomer in the Royal Television Society Awards.

He's also just appeared in the $65 million epic Jack and the Beanstalk The Real Story for American Television in which he shared the set with Richard Attenborough, Daryll Hannah and Jon Voight.

"It was like nothing I've ever done. It was an incredible experience and to share a scene with Richard Attenborough was just amazing.

"I'm very lucky to be in the position that I'm in because I've actually been able to turn down some offers recently."

And now he's dreaming of Hollywood.

"My main aim to go off to America and be successful there. Mike Leigh's last two films have been nominated for Oscars, so who knows?"

James in a dinner jacket sitting next to Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt?

Don't bet against it.

Teachers is on Channel Four on Wednesday at 10pm