American actor, director, screenwriter, and author Stanley Tucci also writes books. He is without a doubt one of the most well-known and well-liked character performers now working in the business. Like many of his contemporaries, Tucci starred in the Broadway drama “The Queen and the Rebels” in 1982 after earning an acting degree from SUNY Purchase. Three years later, in the satirical black comedy “Prizzi’s Honor,” he made his movie debut. He had a number of tiny but noteworthy appearances in both films and television shows in the beginning of his career, which helped him gain experience and hone his skills. In his groundbreaking television film “Winchell,” for which he received both a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy, he played the title role. He has worked with some of the biggest Hollywood actors throughout the course of his 35-year career, appearing in movies of all genres and adding his special blend of humor and tragedy to the productions. Not only have critics complimented the majority of his works, but several of them have also become great box office successes. For the 2009 spooky drama “The Lovely Bones,” he received an Oscar nomination.
Early Childhood & Life
Stanley Tucci, who was born in Peekskill, New York, on November 11, 1960, spent his formative years in Katonah, one of the three hamlets that make up the town of Bedford in Westchester County. He is Joan (née Tropiano) and Stanley Tucci Sreldest .’s child and only son. Actress Christine Tucci and visual artist Gina Tucci are his two sisters.
His mother worked as a secretary and a writer, and his father taught art at Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, New York. His parents were both of Italian descent, and the family spent a year living in Florence, Italy, in the 1970s.
He enrolled at the State University of New York at Purchase after leaving Cross River’s John Jay High School and before beginning his studies there. He received his acting degree in 1982.
Stanley Tucci’s Career
In 1991, Stanley Tucci appeared in a Molière play at the Yale Repertory Theatre after receiving his Actor’s Equity card for the play “The Queen and the Rebels,” which had its world premiere on September 30, 1982, and in which he co-starred with his mother Colleen Dewhurst and childhood friend Campbell Scott.
Tucci made multiple appearances in movies after the publication of his first one, “Prizzi’s Honor,” such as “Who’s That Girl” (1987), “Slaves of New York” (1989), “Men of Respect” (1990), “Beethoven” (1992), “The Pelican Brief” (1993), “It Could Happen to You” (1994), and “Sex & the Other Man” (1995).
In 1987, he made his debut on television in an episode of the NBC crime thriller “Crime Story.” In “Miami Vice” (1986, 1987–1988), “Wiseguy” (1988–89), “thirtysomething” (1989–90), and “Equal Justice,” he had recurrent parts (1991). Tucci played Richard Cross, a charismatic but morally dubious benefactor, in the first season of the 1995–1996 judicial drama “Murder One.”
The comedy-drama movie “Big Night” was written, produced, directed, and starred by him (1996). This was one of his numerous projects with Tony Shalhoub, on whose program “Monk” he would later guest star and receive an Emmy.
He played Puck in Michael Hoffman’s 1999 film adaptation of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and Adolf Eichmann, a German Nazi SS-Obersturmbannführer, in “Conspiracy,” a 2001 BBC/HBO war movie.
In the 2002 film Road to Perdition, Tucci played the Italian-American gangster Frank Nitti. He also played a political assistant in the 2002 film Maid in Manhattan, Stanley Kubrick in the 2004 film The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, and an airport executive in the film The Terminal (2004).
He played the principal protagonist, brain surgeon Doctor Douglas Hanson, in the short-lived CBS medical drama “3 lbs” (2006). In the television series “ER” (2007–2008), he portrayed Dr. Kevin Moretti, the Chief of Emergency Medicine.
After collaborating with Meryl Streep in the comedy-drama “The Devil Wears Prada” in 2006, he quickly grew close to her. They would collaborate once more on “Julie & Julia” (2009). As a result of the film, Tucci developed a passion for cooking. He has since co-authored two publications, “The Tucci Cookbook” (2012) and “The Tucci Table: Cooking With Family and Friends” (2014), and he also owns the Finch Tavern restaurant in Croton Falls, New York.
He received an Oscar nomination in 2009 for his performance as the serial killer George Harvey in the spooky film “The Lovely Bones.” In addition to Saoirse Ronan, Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, and Susan Sarandon, the movie was directed by Peter Jackson.
He joined forces with three of the largest film franchises ever in the 2010s. He portrayed Caesar Flickerman in the four Hunger Games movies (2012–2015), Joshua Joyce in “Transformers: Age of Extinction” (2014), and Merlin in “Transformers: The Last Knight.” He also played the comic book character Abraham Erskine in Marvel’s “Captain America: The First Avenger” (2011). (2017).
In the adult animated black comedy “BoJack Horseman” (2014–15), Tucci provided the voice of Herb Kazzaz. He also portrayed DCI Eugene Morton in the psychological suspense film “Fortitude” (2015).
He portrayed Maestro Cadenza, the music director, in the 2017 live-action adaptation of “Beauty and the Beast.” He’ll soon be seen in the action-horror films “Patient Zero,” “Show Dogs,” and “Nomis,” as well as the comedies Show Dogs and Nomis.
Tucci’s Bigger Works
For his performance in the television movie “Winchell,” Stanley Tucci is most known. The film, which was directed by Paul Mazursky and is based on the biography “Walter Winchell: His Life and Times” by Herman Klurfel, shows the beginning of the career of the radio broadcaster and tabloid gossip columnist as he squares off against a propagandist against the backdrop of the political and social unrest in the US in the years preceding World War II.
Tucci’s performance garnered overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics, with Variety’s Ray Richmond praising him for “just brilliantly expressing Winchell’s public blend of magnetism and sanctimony.”
Recognition & Achievements
For his roles in “Winchell” and “Conspiracy,” Stanley Tucci received Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film in 1998 and Best Supporting Actor in a Series or Miniseries in 2001, respectively.
His first Primetime Emmy was for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for “Winchell” in 1998, and his second was for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for “Mr. Monk and the Actor” in “Monk’s” fifth season in 2006, and his third and final award was for Outstanding Short Form Variety Series for “Park Bench with Steve Buscemi” in 2016.
He and Streep read the children’s book “The One and Only Shrek” in 2008, earning them a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Album For Children.
Tucci’s Individual Life
Three children were born to Stanley Tucci and his first wife Kathryn “Kate”: twins Nicolo Robert and Isabel Concetta (born January 21, 2000), and Camilla (2002). She was a social worker who had previously been married to the stage manager and actor Alexander R. Scott. On April 27, 2009, Kate passed away from breast cancer.
A few years after their time on “The Devil Wears Prada,” actress Emily Blunt introduced Tucci to her older sister, British literary agent Felicity Blunt. They were wed in a civil ceremony in the summer of 2012, then on September 29, 2012, they exchanged vows in a traditional ceremony at Middle Temple Hall in London. On January 25, 2015, Blunt gave birth to their son Matteo Oliver. The family dwells in Barnes, a quiet neighborhood in London, United Kingdom.
In a UNHCR film, Tucci appeared alongside stars including Neil Gaiman, Keira Knightley, Juliet Stevenson, Cate Blanchett, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and others to show their support and spread awareness for the world refugee issue.
Estimated Net Worth
American actor, writer, producer, and director Stanley Tucci has a fortune of $25 million. His performances in movies including “The Lovely Bones,” “The Hunger Games,” “Burlesque,” and “The Devil Wears Prada” have earned him recognition. Additionally, Stanley appears in the popular CNN travel show “Searching for Italy.”
Trivia
He shared a room with actor Ving Rhames while he was a student at SUNY Purchase.