Stanley Tucci Jr. ( ; born November 11, 1960) is an American actor and filmmaker. Involved in acting from a young age, he made his film debut in

John Huston John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter, actor and visual artist. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered ...

's '' Prizzi's Honor'' (1985), and continued to play a variety of supporting roles in films such as

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

's ''

Deconstructing Harry ''Deconstructing Harry'' is a 1997 American black comedy film written, directed by, and co-starring Woody Allen, alongside Caroline Aaron, Kirstie Alley, Bob Balaban, Richard Benjamin, Eric Bogosian, Billy Crystal, Judy Davis and others. The f ...

'' (1997),

Sam Mendes Sir Samuel Alexander Mendes (born 1 August 1965) is a British film and stage director, producer, and screenwriter. In 2000, Mendes was appointed a CBE for his services to drama, and he was knighted in the 2020 New Years Honours List. That s ...

's '' Road to Perdition'' (2002), and

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Sp ...

's '' The Terminal'' (2004). In 1996, he made his directorial debut with the cult comedy '' Big Night'' which he also co-wrote and starred in alongside Tony Shalhoub. He played

Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, his films, almost all of which are adaptations of nove ...

in the television film ''

The Life and Death of Peter Sellers ''The Life and Death of Peter Sellers'' is a 2004 television film about the life of English comedian Peter Sellers, based on Roger Lewis's book of the same name. 1108 pagesPublished in the U.S. via Applause BooksA very comprehensive biography, ...

''. Tucci is also known for his collaborations with

Meryl Streep Mary Louise Meryl Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Often described as "the best actress of her generation", Streep is particularly known for her versatility and accent adaptability. She has received numerous accolades throu ...

in films such as '' The Devil Wears Prada'' (2006) and '' Julie & Julia'' (2009). Tucci gained further acclaim and success with such films as ''Burlesque'' (2010), '' Easy A'' (2010), '' Captain America: The First Avenger'' (2011), '' Margin Call'' (2011), '' The Hunger Games'' film series (2012–2015), '' Spotlight'' (2015), '' Beauty and the Beast'' (2017), and ''

Supernova A supernova is a powerful and luminous explosion of a star. It has the plural form supernovae or supernovas, and is abbreviated SN or SNe. This transient astronomical event occurs during the last evolutionary stages of a massive star or whe ...

'' (2020). He has won five

Emmy Awards The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

; one for '' Winchell'' (1998), one for a guest appearance on the comedy series ''

Monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedic ...

'', one for being a producer of the web series ''

Park Bench with Steve Buscemi ''Park Bench with Steve Buscemi'' is an American web series talk show created, directed and hosted by actor Steve Buscemi, distributed by digital network AOL. The series premiered on May 15, 2014. In each episode, Buscemi interviews a famous frien ...

'' and two for a six-part food and travel documentary series on CNN titled '' Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy'' for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series in 2021 and 2022. Tucci was nominated for an

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given in honor of an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role while worki ...

for his performance in ''

The Lovely Bones ''The Lovely Bones'' is a 2002 novel by American writer Alice Sebold. It is the story of a teenage girl who, after being raped and murdered, watches from her personal Heaven as her family and friends struggle to move on with their lives while she ...

'' (2009). He was also nominated for a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

for Best Actor in a Play for his performance in '' Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune'' (2003), and a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

for Best Spoken Word Album for Children, for ''The One and Only Shrek!'' alongside Meryl Streep. Tucci also starred in numerous television series such as the legal drama ''Murder One'' (1995–96), the medical drama '' 3 lbs'' (2006), Ryan Murphy's limited series ''Feud: Bette & Joan'' (2017), and the drama ''Limetown'' (2018). Since 2020, Tucci has voiced Bitsy Brandenham in the

Apple TV+ Apple TV+ is an American subscription streaming service owned and operated by Apple Inc. Launched on November 1, 2019, it offers a selection of original production film and television series called Apple Originals. The service was announced ...

animated series ''Central Park''.

Early life

Tucci was born on November 11, 1960 in Peekskill, New York, and grew up in nearby Katonah, New York. His parents, Joan (née Tropiano), a secretary and writer, and Stanley Tucci Sr. an art teacher at Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, New York, both of Italian descent, have roots in the town of Marzi in

Calabria , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

. His maternal great-grandmother, Angela Albanese, was from Calabria and her surname indicates that she was of

Arbëreshë Arbën/Arbër, from which derived Arbënesh/Arbëresh originally meant all Albanians, until the 18th century. Today it is used for different groups of Albanian origin, including: *Arbër (given name), an Albanian masculine given name * Arbëreshë ...

descent. "Albanése, -i : dall'etnico Albanése o, nel Sud, 'appartenente alle colonie albanesi' (in Abruzzo, Puglie, Campania, Calabria e Sicilia)." Tucci is the oldest of three children; his sister is actress

Christine Tucci Christine Tucci () is an American actress. Life and career Tucci, an Italian American, was born in Katonah, New York, the daughter of Joan (née Tropiano), a retired secretary and writer, and Stanley Tucci, Sr., a retired high school art teacher ...

. Screenwriter Joseph Tropiano is a cousin. During the early 1970s, the family spent a year living in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...

, Italy. He attended John Jay High School, where he played on the soccer and baseball teams, although his main interest lay in the school's drama club, where he and fellow actor and high school friend, Campbell Scott, son of actors George C. Scott and

Colleen Dewhurst Colleen Rose Dewhurst (3 June 1924 – 22 August 1991) was a Canadian-American actress mostly known for theatre roles. She was a renowned interpreter of the works of Eugene O'Neill on the stage, and her career also encompassed film, early drama ...

, gave well-received performances at many of John Jay's drama club productions. Tucci then attended State University of New York at Purchase, where he majored in acting and graduated in 1982. Among his classmates at SUNY Purchase was fellow acting student Ving Rhames. It was Tucci who gave Rhames, born Irving, the Ving nickname by which he is known.

Career

1980s: Early work

In 1982, Tucci earned his Actors' Equity card when actress

, the mother of Tucci's high-school friend, actor Campbell Scott, arranged for the two young men to have parts as soldiers in a Broadway play in which she was co-starring, ''The Queen and the Rebels'' which premiered on September 30, 1982. Around this time, Tucci also worked as a model, with his most notable work being a television commercial for

Levi's Levi Strauss & Co. () is an American clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's () brand of denim jeans. It was founded in May 1853 when German-Jewish immigrant Levi Strauss moved from Buttenheim, Bavaria, to San Francisco, California, t ...

501 jeans. In 1985, Tucci made his film debut in '' Prizzi's Honor.'' Tucci then went on to portray minor and supporting roles in a number of films including ''Monkey Shines'' (1988), ''

Slaves of New York ''Slaves of New York'' is a 1989 American comedy-drama Merchant Ivory Productions film. Directed by James Ivory and produced by Ismail Merchant, it stars Bernadette Peters, Adam Coleman Howard, Chris Sarandon, Mary Beth Hurt, Mercedes Ruehl, Ma ...

'' (1989), '' Fear, Anxiety & Depression'' (1989) and ''Billy Bathgate'' (1991). In 1991, Tucci performed at the

Yale Repertory Theatre Yale Repertory Theatre at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut was founded by Robert Brustein, dean of Yale School of Drama, in 1966, with the goal of facilitating a meaningful collaboration between theatre professionals and talented stude ...

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and world ...

's ''Scapin.'' In 1992, Tucci acted in the family comedy ''Beethoven'' and the romantic fantasy ''Prelude to a Kiss''. The former spawned a franchise of the same name due to the success of the 1992 film.

1990s: Breakthrough

From 1995 to 1996, Tucci starred in the television series ''Murder One'' as the mysterious Richard Cross. Tucci received his first

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

nomination for his performance in the series, specifically for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. Following disappointing ratings, ABC decided to revamp the series resulting in Tucci being dismissed from the series. In 1996, Tucci co-wrote, co-directed and starred in the comedy-drama film '' Big Night''. Tucci wrote the screenplay with his cousin Joseph Tropiano and directed the film with friend Campbell Scott. The film premiered at the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,6 ...

where it was nominated for the "Grand Jury Prize". Tucci and Tropiano won the

Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay The Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay is one of the annual awards given by the Film Independent, a non-profit organization dedicated to independent film and independent filmmakers. It was first presented in 1994 with David O. Russ ...

for writing the screenplay of the film. The film also featured his sister Christine and their mother, who wrote a cookbook for the film. In 1998, Tucci wrote, directed, co-produced and starred in the comedy film '' The Impostors''. Shortly thereafter, Tucci starred in the HBO biographical television film ''Winchell'' in which Tucci portrayed columnist

Walter Winchell Walter Winchell (April 7, 1897 – February 20, 1972) was a syndicated American newspaper gossip columnist and radio news commentator. Originally a vaudeville performer, Winchell began his newspaper career as a Broadway reporter, critic and ...

. For his portrayal of Winchell, Tucci won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film. Tucci also received a

Screen Actors Guild Awards Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1952 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...

nomination for his performance in the film. In 1999, he played Robin Goodfellow / Puck in the Michael Hoffman

adaptation In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the po ...

of ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict a ...

''.

2000s: Films and award recognition

In 2000, Tucci directed, produced and starred in the drama film ''Joe Gould's Secret'', based on a 1964 biographical essay about Gould by ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

'' reporter Joseph Mitchell. In 2001, Tucci starred in the HBO television war film ''Conspiracy'' as

Adolf Eichmann Otto Adolf Eichmann ( ,"Eichmann"
'' Kenneth Branagh and

Colin Firth Colin Andrew Firth (born 10 September 1960) is an English actor and producer. He was identified in the mid-1980s with the " Brit Pack" of rising young British actors, undertaking a challenging series of roles, including leading roles in '' A M ...

. For his portrayal of Eichmann, Tucci won another Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film. The film was critically acclaimed and won a

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...

In 2002, Tucci returned to the stage by starring in the revival of Terrence McNally's '' Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune.'' Tucci received a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play nomination for his performance in the play. Also in 2002, he starred in

' '' Road to Perdition'' opposite

Tom Hanks Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...

. The film went on to receive $181 million at the box office and received six

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

nominations. He reunited with Hanks in

's '' The Terminal'' (2004). That same year Tucci appeared in ''

Shall We Dance Shall We Dance may refer to: Films * ''Shall We Dance'' (1937 film), a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musical * ''Shall We Dance?'' (1996 film), a Japanese film about ballroom dancing * ''Shall We Dance?'' (2004 film), an American remake of the ...

'' (2004). Tucci also portrayed

in the HBO television film, ''

'' (2004). He also was a guest caller in an episode of ''

Frasier ''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons. It premiered on September 16, 1993, and ended on May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee (as Grub ...

''. Also that year,

Caedmon Audio Caedmon Audio and HarperCollins Audio are record label imprints of HarperCollins Publishers that specialize in audiobooks and other literary content. Formerly Caedmon Records, its marketing tag-line was Caedmon: a Third Dimension for the Printe ...

released an audiobook of Tucci reading Kurt Vonnegut's 1973 novel '' Breakfast of Champions''. In 2005, Tucci had his first voice role in the animated film ''Robots''. In 2006, Tucci had a major role in the comedy film '' The Devil Wears Prada'', opposite

, Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt. The film was Tucci's highest grossing-film until '' Captain America: The First Avenger'' in 2011. Also in 2006, Tucci made an appearance on the television series ''

'', for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. Tucci returned to broadcast television by starring in the drama series '' 3 lbs'', which premiered on November 14, 2006. However, due to low ratings CBS cancelled the series. The following year, Tucci went on to recur in the drama series '' ER''. For his performance in ''ER,'' Tucci was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. In 2009, Tucci portrayed George Harvey, a serial killer of young girls, in ''

'',

Peter Jackson Sir Peter Robert Jackson (born 31 October 1961) is a New Zealand film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known as the director, writer and producer of the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy (2001–2003) and the ''Hobbit'' trilogy ( ...

's adaptation of Alice Sebold's

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itself ...

, for which he received Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations. To prepare for the role, he consulted with retired FBI profiler John Douglas. Also in 2009, Tucci reunited with Meryl Streep in '' Julie & Julia''. The following year, Tucci directed a revival of the

Ken Ludwig Ken Ludwig is an American playwright and theatre director whose work has been performed in more than 30 countries in over 20 languages. Personal life Ken Ludwig was born in York, Pennsylvania. His father was a doctor and his mother was a former B ...

play '' Lend Me a Tenor'' on Broadway, starring Tony Shalhoub. Furthermore, Tucci had a supporting role in the teen comedy film '' Easy A''. In 2010, Tucci starred alongside Cher and Christina Aguilera in ''

Burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

''. In 2011, Tucci played Dr. Abraham Erskine in the

Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published ...

film ''Captain America: The First Avenger''.

2010s: Franchise and dramatic roles

In the fall of 2012, Tucci released his first cookbook titled ''The Tucci Cookbook.'' Tucci was also a co-owner of the Finch Tavern restaurant in Croton Falls, New York. From 2012 to 2015 Tucci portrayed Caesar Flickerman in '' The Hunger Games'' (2012) and its sequels '' The Hunger Games: Catching Fire'' (2013), '' The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1'' (2014) and '' The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2'' (2015). In 2013, Tucci played the role of the Ancient Greek God

Dionysus In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, myth, Dionysus (; grc, wikt:Διόνυσος, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstas ...

in '' Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters''. Also in 2013, he lent his voice to an episode of the animated series ''

American Dad! ''American Dad!'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman for the Fox Broadcasting Company. Since 2014, the series has been airing new episodes on TBS. ''American Dad!'' is the first television ...

.''

In 2014, Tucci portrayed CEO Joshua Joyce in '' Transformers: Age of Extinction''. The same year, he voiced

Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 14522 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested on ...

in the animated film '' Mr. Peabody & Sherman'' and had a cameo in '' Muppets Most Wanted''. From 2014 to 2020, he had a recurring voice role in the animated series ''

BoJack Horseman ''BoJack Horseman'' is an American adult animated black comedy-drama streaming television series created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg. It stars the voices of Will Arnett, Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, Paul F. Tompkins, and Aaron Paul. Set primarily in ...

''. In 2015, Tucci portrayed

Mitchell Garabedian Mitchell "Mitch" Garabedian (born July 17, 1951) is a lawyer known for representing sexual abuse victims in the Boston area during the Catholic priest sexual abuse scandal, including the cases against Paul Shanley, John Geoghan, and the Archdio ...

in the biographical drama film ''Spotlight''. The film won the

Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only categ ...

as well as

Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best Story. Beginning with th ...

. Also in 2015, Tucci starred in the British series ''Fortitude'' as DCI Eugene Morton. In 2017, Tucci directed and wrote the drama film '' Final Portrait''. The same year, Tucci played the role of the composer Maestro Cadenza in the live-action adaptation of

Disney's The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

'' Beauty and the Beast'', co-starring with Emma Watson and

Dan Stevens Daniel Jonathan Stevens (born 10 October 1982) is a British actor and writer. He first drew international attention for his role as Matthew Crawley in the ITV acclaimed period drama series '' Downton Abbey'' (2010–2012). He also starred as ...

. Tucci also returned to the ''Transformers'' film series by portraying

Merlin Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and leg ...

in '' Transformers: The Last Knight''. Furthermore, Tucci played the husband of Dame Fiona Maye, a British High Court judge, opposite

Emma Thompson Dame Emma Thompson (born 15 April 1959) is a British actress. Regarded as one of the best actresses of her generation, she has received numerous accolades throughout her four-decade-long career, including two Academy Awards, two British A ...

in '' The Children Act'', based on the book of the same name by

Ian McEwan Ian Russell McEwan, (born 21 June 1948) is an English novelist and screenwriter. In 2008, ''The Times'' featured him on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945" and ''The Daily Telegraph'' ranked him number 19 in its list of th ...

. Also in 2017, Tucci starred in the miniseries ''Feud'' as Warner Bros. studio head

Jack L. Warner Jack Leonard Warner (born Jacob Warner; August 2, 1892 – September 9, 1978) was a Canadian-American film executive, who was the president and driving force behind the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. Warner's career spanned some ...

. ''Feud'' received critical acclaim and Tucci received a nomination for the

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. Before 1975, supporting actors featured in a miniseries or movie were included in categories such as c ...

. In 2018, Tucci starred the independent films ''Patient Zero'', '' A Private War'' and ''Night Hunter''. In 2019, Tucci starred in the drama series ''Limetown'', based on the podcast of the same name. Facebook cancelled the series after one season had aired. The same year, Tucci starred in the horror film ''The Silence''.

2020s: ''Central Park'' and ''Searching for Italy''

In 2020, Tucci began voicing the character Bitsy Brandenham in the animated series ''Central Park''. The series received a two-season order from Apple Inc., with each season set to consist of 13 episodes each. The series premiered on May 29, 2020. In the same year, Tucci narrated the series ''The California Century'', on notable people in the history of California told from the point of view of a screenwriter. In 2020, Tucci starred in the British drama film ''Supernova ''opposite Colin Firth. The film explores the relationship between a couple played by Tucci and Firth as one of them succumbs to

early onset dementia Early onset dementia is dementia in which symptoms first appear before the age of 65. The term favored until about 2000 was ''presenile dementia''; ''young onset dementia'' is also used. Early onset dementia may be caused by degenerative or vas ...

. The film premiered at the San Sebastián International Film Festival and since has received critical acclaim. Guy Lodge, critic for '' Variety'' wrote of their chemistry "Firth and Tucci are such reliable stalwarts that we tend not to regard their presence too closely in films these days: Almost invariably, they fulfill our expectations of their refined gravitas. But there's something lovely and surprising in what they bring out of each other here, as they complement and reflect each other's curtness, evasiveness and occasional spillages of tenderness in the way that long-term couples do." In 2021, Tucci hosted the culinary travel series, '' Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy'', a six-part original CNN series following the actor on a food tour of Italy. The series received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including one for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series, and was renewed for a second season set to air in 2022. In September, Tucci was cast as Grammy-winning producer

Clive Davis Clive Jay Davis (born April 4, 1932) is an American record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer. He has won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer, in 2000. From 1967 to 19 ...

in ''

I Wanna Dance With Somebody "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston for her second studio album, '' Whitney'' (1987). It was released as the lead single from the album on May 2, 1987, by Arista Records. It was prod ...

,'' a

biopic A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of a non-fictional or historically-based person or people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudr ...

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "Honorific nicknames in popular music, The Voice", she is Whitney Houston albums discography, one of the bestselling music artists ...

Personal life

Tucci's first wife, Kathryn Spath (born 1962), died of

breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or ...

in 2009. She was a

social worker Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social wo ...

and former wife of actor and

stage manager Stage management is a broad field that is generally defined as the practice of organization and coordination of an event or theatrical production. Stage management may encompass a variety of activities including the overseeing of the rehearsal p ...

Alexander R. Scott, the elder son of actors

and George C. Scott. She and Tucci married in 1995 and had three children: daughter Camilla and twins Nicolo and Isabel. The couple also raised Kathryn's two children from her previous marriage. Tucci left her in 2002 for actress Edie Falco, with whom he was appearing on Broadway in Terrence McNally's '' Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune'', but the

affair An affair is a sexual relationship, romantic friendship, or passionate attachment in which at least one of its participants has a formal or informal commitment to a third person who may neither agree to such relationship nor even be aware of ...

ended, and he returned to his wife and children. In 2011, then a widower, Tucci became engaged to Felicity Blunt, a British

literary agent A literary agent is an agent who represents writers and their written works to publishers, theatrical producers, film producers, and film studios, and assists in sale and deal negotiation. Literary agents most often represent novelists, screenwrit ...

. She is the elder sister of British actress Emily Blunt, who co-starred with Tucci in '' The Devil Wears Prada'' and introduced the couple several years later at her own 2010 wedding to actor

John Krasinski John Burke Krasinski (; born October 20, 1979) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his role as Jim Halpert on the NBC sitcom ''The Office''. He also served as a producer and occasional director of the series throughout its nin ...

. Tucci and Blunt married in a

civil ceremony A civil, or registrar, ceremony is a non-religious legal marriage ceremony performed by a government official or functionary. In the United Kingdom, this person is typically called a registrar. In the United States, civil ceremonies may be performed ...

in summer 2012, followed by a larger observance at

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's I ...

Hall in London on September 29, 2012. The couple live in Barnes, London, and have a son Matteo Oliver born on 25 January 2015 and a daughter Emilia Giovanna, born on 19 April 2018. On September 12, 2016, Tucci, with

Cate Blanchett Catherine Elise Blanchett (; born 14 May 1969) is an Australian actor. Regarded as one of the finest performers of her generation, she is known for her versatile work across independent films, blockbusters, and the stage. She has received n ...

, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Peter Capaldi,

Douglas Booth Douglas John Booth (born 9 July 1992) is an English actor and musician. He first came to public attention following his performance as Boy George in the BBC Two film ''Worried About the Boy'' (2010). He also starred in the BBC adaptations of ' ...

Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gra ...

, Keira Knightley, Juliet Stevenson, Kit Harington, and Jesse Eisenberg, appeared in a video from the United Nations' refugee agency

UNHCR The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integrat ...

to help raise awareness of the global

refugee crisis A refugee crisis can refer to difficulties and dangerous situations in the reception of large groups of forcibly displaced persons. These could be either internally displaced, refugees, asylum seekers or any other huge groups of migrants. A ...

. The video, titled "What They Took With Them", has the actors reading a poem, written by Jenifer Toksvig and inspired by primary accounts of refugees, and is part of UNHCR's #WithRefugees campaign, of which also includes a petition to governments to expand asylum to provide further shelter, integrating job opportunities, and education. On May 21, 2021, Tucci received a Doctorate Honoris Causa in Humane Letters from the

American University of Rome The American University of Rome (commonly referred to as AUR) is a degree-granting American university in Rome, Italy. AUR is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education in the United States and is recognized by the Italian Mi ...

, in Rome, Italy, for his lifelong contribution to the arts and humanities. Tucci is a noted fan of cigar smoking. In September 2021, Tucci revealed that he had been diagnosed with oral cancer three years earlier. He had received treatment (

chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemother ...

and

radiation In physics, radiation is the emission or transmission of energy in the form of waves or particles through space or through a material medium. This includes: * ''electromagnetic radiation'', such as radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visi ...

) after a

tumor A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of the normal surrounding tissue, and persists ...

was found at the base of his

tongue The tongue is a muscular organ in the mouth of a typical tetrapod. It manipulates food for mastication and swallowing as part of the digestive process, and is the primary organ of taste. The tongue's upper surface (dorsum) is covered by taste ...

, and said it was unlikely that the tumor would return. In October 2021, his memoir ''Taste: My Life Through Food'' was published, which describes his encounter with cancer and his love of food. As of February 20, 2022, ''Taste: My Life Through Food'' had been on ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' Best Seller List for 18 weeks. In November 2022 he said there are still some foods he can not eat, as a result of his cancer.

Filmography

Selected credits

Awards and nominations

Published works

* * *

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tucci, Stanley 1960 births Living people 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century American male actors 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers American cookbook writers American documentary filmmakers American expatriates in England American film directors of Italian descent American film producers American male film actors American male models American male non-fiction writers American male screenwriters American male television actors American male voice actors American television producers American writers of Italian descent Best Miniseries or Television Movie Actor Golden Globe winners Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe (television) winners Independent Spirit Award winners English-language film directors Film directors from New York City Film producers from New York (state) John Jay High School (Cross River, New York) alumni Male actors from New York City Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners People from Fire Island, New York People from Katonah, New York People from Peekskill, New York People of Calabrian descent State University of New York at Purchase alumni Television producers from New York City Writers from New York City