Stanley Tucci


Stanley Tucci is an American actor, writer, producer, film director and former fashion model. Involved in acting from a young age, he made his film debut in John Huston's Prizzi's Honor, and continued to play a wide variety of supporting roles in films such as Woody Allen's Deconstructing Harry, Sam Mendes' Road to Perdition and Steven Spielberg's The Terminal. In 1996, he made his directorial debut with the cult comedy Big Night which he also wrote and starred in alongside Tony Shalhoub.
He also played Stanley Kubrick in the television film The Life and Death of Peter Sellers. Tucci is also known for his collaborations with Meryl Streep in films such as The Devil Wears Prada, and Julie & Julia. Tucci gained further acclaim and success with such films as Easy A, , Margin Call, The Hunger Games film series, Spotlight, and Beauty and the Beast.
He has won three Emmy Awards. One for Winchell ; one for a guest appearance on the USA Network comedy series Monk; and one for being a producer of the web series Park Bench with Steve Buscemi. Tucci was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Lovely Bones. He was also nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance in Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, and a Grammy Award 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 ABC legal drama Murder One, the CBS medical drama 3 lbs, the FX docudrama Feud and the Facebook Watch drama Limetown. Since 2020, Tucci has voiced Bitsy Brandenham in the Apple TV+ animated musical comedy series Central Park.

Early life

Tucci was born in Peekskill, New York and grew up in nearby Katonah. His parents, Joan, a secretary and writer, and Stanley Tucci, Sr., an art teacher at Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, New York, both of Italian descent, had roots in Calabria. Tucci is the oldest of three children; his sister is actress Christine Tucci. Screenwriter Joseph Tropiano is a cousin. During the early 1970s, the family spent a year living in Florence, 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 actor George C. Scott, gave well-received performances at many of John Jay's drama club productions. Tucci then attended SUNY 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 now known.

Career

1982–1994: Career beginnings

In 1982, Tucci earned his Actors' Equity card when actress Colleen Dewhurst, 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 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, Slaves of New York, Fear, Anxiety & Depression and Billy Bathgate.
In 1991, Tucci performed at the Yale Repertory Theatre in Molière’s Scapin. In 1992, Tucci starred 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.

1995–2004: Breakthrough

From 1995 to 1996, Tucci starred in the ABC legal drama television series Murder One as the mysterious Richard Cross. Tucci received his first Primetime Emmy Award 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 Trapiano and directed the film with his high-school friend Campbell Scott. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival where it was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize". Tucci and Tropiano won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay 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. 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 nomination for his performance in the film.
In 1999, he played Robin Goodfellow / Puck in the Michael Hoffman adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream. His portrayal of the mischievous fairy was the target of wider critical praise, with many critics singling out Tucci and Kevin Kline as Nick Bottom for particular admiration in the film.
In 2000, Tucci directed, produced and starred in the drama film Joe Gould's Secret, based on the book of the same name by Joseph Mitchell. In 2001, Tucci starred in the HBO television war film Conspiracy as Adolf Eichmann. 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.
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 for his performance in the play. Also in 2002, he starred in Sam Mendes' Road to Perdition opposite Tom Hanks. The film went on to receive $181 million at the box office and received six Academy Award nominations.
In 2004, Caedmon Audio released an audiobook of Tucci reading Kurt Vonnegut's 1973 novel Breakfast of Champions''.

2005–2011: Major film roles and small television roles

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 Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt. The film was Tucci's highest grossing-film until in 2011.
Also in 2006, Tucci made an appearance on the USA Network comedy television series Monk, 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 CBS medical 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 NBC medical 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 The Lovely Bones, Peter Jackson's adaptation of Alice Sebold's novel, 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 play Lend Me a Tenor on Broadway, starring Tony Shalhoub. Furthermore, Tucci had a supporting role in the teen comedy film Easy A. In 2011, Tucci played Dr. Abraham Erskine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film .

2012–2016: Blockbusters and ''Spotlight''

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 and its sequels, ', ' and '. In 2013, Tucci played the role of the Ancient Greek God Dionysus in '. Also in 2013, Tucci lent his voice to an episode of the adult animated series American Dad!.
castmates Melanie Specht and Greg Matthew Anderson in August 2014|214x214pxIn 2014, Tucci portrayed CEO Joshua Joyce in . The same year, Tucci voiced Leonardo da Vinci in the animated comedy film Mr. Peabody & Sherman and Tucci had a cameo in Muppets Most Wanted. From 2014 to 2020, Tucci had a recurring voice role in the animated Netflix black comedy-drama series BoJack Horseman.
In 2015, Tucci portrayed Mitchell Garabedian in the biographical drama film Spotlight. The film follows The Boston Globe's "Spotlight" team, the oldest continuously operating newspaper investigative journalist unit in the United States, and its investigation into cases of widespread and systemic child sex abuse in the Boston area by numerous Roman Catholic priests. The film won the Academy Award for Best Picture as well as Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Also in 2015, Tucci starred in the British Sky One drama series Fortitude'' as DCI Eugene Morton.

2017–present: Return to independent features and television

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 Beauty and the Beast. Tucci also returned to the Transformers film series by portraying a different character, Merlin, in . Furthermore, Tucci played the husband of Dame Fiona Maye, a British High Court judge, opposite Emma Thompson in The Children Act, based on the book of the same name by Ian McEwan.
Also in 2017, Tucci starred in the FX miniseries Feud as Warner Bros. studio head Jack L. Warner. Feud received critical acclaim from critics and Tucci received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie.
In 2018, Tucci starred the independent films Patient Zero, A Private War and Night Hunter. In 2019, Tucci starred in the Facebook Watch drama series Limetown, based on the podcast of the same name. Facebook cancelled the series after one season had aired. That same year, Tucci starred in the horror film The Silence.
In 2020, Tucci began voicing the character Bitsy Brandenham in the Apple TV+ animated musical comedy series Central Park. The series received a two-season order from Apple Inc., with each season set to consist of thirteen episodes each. The series premiered on May 29, 2020. In the same year Tucci narrated a series for BBC Radio 4, The California Century, on notable people in the history of California told from the point of view of a screen writer.

Personal life

Tucci's first wife, Kathryn "Kate" Spath-Tucci, died of breast cancer in 2009. She was a social worker and former wife of actor and stage manager Alexander R. Scott, the elder son of actors Colleen Dewhurst and George C. Scott. She and Tucci married in 1995 and had three children. The couple also raised Kate'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 ended, and he returned to his wife and children.
In 2011, now a widower, Tucci became engaged to Felicity Blunt, an English literary agent. She is the elder sister of 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. Tucci and Blunt married in a civil ceremony in summer 2012, followed by a larger observance at Middle Temple Hall in London on September 29, 2012. The couple live in Barnes, London and have a son born in January 2015and a daughter, born in April 2018.
On September 12, 2016, Tucci, along with Cate Blanchett, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Peter Capaldi, Douglas Booth, Neil Gaiman, Keira Knightley, Juliet Stevenson, Kit Harington, and Jesse Eisenberg, appeared in a video from the United Nations' refugee agency UNHCR to help raise awareness to the global refugee crisis. 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.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1985Prizzi's HonorSoldier
1987Who's That Girl2nd Dock Worker
1988Monkey ShinesDr. John Wiseman
1989Slaves of New YorkDarryl
1989Fear, Anxiety & DepressionDonny
1990The FeudHarvey Yelton
1990Quick ChangeJohnny
1990Men of RespectMal
1991Billy BathgateLucky Luciano
1992In the SoupGregoire
1992BeethovenVernon
1992Prelude to a KissTaylor
1992The Public EyeSal
1993Undercover BluesMuerte
1993The Pelican BriefKhamel
1994It Could Happen to YouEddie Biasi
1994Mrs. Parker and the Vicious CircleFred Hunter
1994Somebody to LoveGeorge
1995Jury DutyFrank/Billy
1995Kiss of DeathFrank Zioli
1995Sex & the Other ManArthur
1996A Modern AffairPeter Kessler
1996The DaytrippersLouis D'Amico
1996Big NightSecondoAlso writer, director and co-producer
1997Deconstructing HarryPaul Epstein
1997The AlarmistHeinrich Grigoris
1997A Life Less OrdinaryElliot Zweikel
1998The Eighteenth AngelTodd Stanton
1998MontanaNicholas Roth
1998The ImpostorsArthurAlso writer, director and producer
1999A Midsummer Night's DreamPuck
1999In Too DeepPreston D'Ambrosio
2000Joe Gould's SecretJoe MitchellAlso director and producer
2001Sidewalks of New YorkGriffin Risto
2001America's SweetheartsDave Kingman
2001The Whole ShebangGiovanni Bazinni
2002Big TroubleArthur Herk
2002Road to PerditionFrank Nitti
2002Maid in ManhattanJerry Siegel
2003The CoreDr. Conrad Zimsky
2004SpinFrank Haley
2004The Life and Death of Peter SellersStanley Kubrick
2004The TerminalFrank Dixon
2004Shall We Dance?Link
2005RobotsHerb CopperbottomVoice
2006Lucky Number SlevinDet. Brikowski
2006The Devil Wears PradaNigel Kipling
2006The HoaxShelton Fisher
2007Four Last SongsLarry
2007Blind DateDonAlso writer and director
2008'Mr. Berk
2008Space ChimpsThe SenatorVoice
2008Swing VoteMartin Fox
2008What Just HappenedScott Solomon
2008The Tale of DespereauxBoldoVoice
2009Julie & JuliaPaul Child
2009The Lovely BonesGeorge Harvey
2010Easy ADill Penderghast
2010BurlesqueSean
2011Margin CallEric Dale
2011'Abraham Erskine
2012The Hunger GamesCaesar Flickerman
2012GambitZaidenweber
2012The Company You KeepRay Fuller
2013Jack the Giant SlayerLord Roderick
2013'Mr. D / Dionysus
2013The Fifth EstateJames Boswell
2013'Caesar Flickerman
2013Some Velvet MorningFred
2014The Wind RisesGiovanni Battista CaproniVoice; English dub
2014Mr. Peabody & ShermanLeonardo da VinciVoice
2014Muppets Most WantedIvan the GuardCameo
2014'Joshua Joyce
2014Wild CardBaby
2014A Little ChaosPhilippe I, Duke of Orléans
2014'Caesar Flickerman
2015'Publishing Executive
2015SpotlightMitchell Garabedian
2015'Caesar Flickerman
2017Final PortraitWriter and director
2017Beauty and the BeastMaestro Cadenza
2017Merlin
2017The Children ActJack Maye
2017SubmissionTed Swenson
2018Show DogsPhilippeVoice
2018Patient ZeroThe Professor
2018A Private WarTony Shaw
2018Night HunterCommissioner Harper
2019The SilenceHugh Andrews
2020WorthCharles Wolf
2020The King's ManPost-production
2021The WitchesMr. StringerPost-production
TBAJoltPost-production
TBASupernovaTuskerPost-production

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1987Crime StoryZack LowmanEpisode: "The Battle of Las Vegas"
1987Kojak: The Price of Justice1st TenantTelevision movie
1988The StreetArthur ScolariUnknown episodes
1986Miami ViceSteven DemarcoEpisode: "Baby Blues"
1987–88Miami ViceFrank Mosca2 episodes
1988The EqualizerAssemblyman Phillip WingateEpisode: "The Last Campaign"
1988–89WiseguyRick Pinzolo5 episodes
1989–90thirtysomethingKarl Draconis2 episodes
1990Revealing Evidence:
Stalking the Honolulu Stranger		Detective Patrick McGuireTelevision movie
1990LifestoriesArt ConfortiEpisode: "Art Conforti"
1991Equal JusticeDetective Frank Mirelli3 episodes
1995–96Murder OneRichard CrossMain role
1998WinchellWalter WinchellTelevision movie
2000BullHunter Lasky5 episodes
2001ConspiracyAdolf EichmannTelevision movie
2002Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a DancerNarratorVoice; American Masters documentary
2004FrasierMorrie Voice; Episode: "Frasier-Lite"
2006MonkDavid RuskinEpisode: "Mr. Monk and the Actor"
20063 lbsDr. Douglas HansonMain role
2007–08ERDr. Kevin Moretti10 episodes
201230 RockHenry Warren ChangEpisode: "Alexis Goodlooking and the Case of the Missing Whisky
2012Robot ChickenRich Uncle PennybagsVoice; Episode: "Butchered in Burbank"
2013American Dad!LorenzoVoice; Episode: "Permanent Record Wrecker"
2014–20BoJack HorsemanHerb KazzazVoice; 12 episodes
2015FortitudeDCI Eugene Morton9 episodes
2015The Italian AmericansNarrator4 episodes
2015Peter & WendyCaptain HookTelevision movie
2017Feud: Bette and JoanJack L. WarnerMain role
2019LimetownEmile HaddockMain role
2020–presentCentral Park''Bitsy BrandenhamVoice; Main role

Theatre

Awards and nominations

Published works