Stanley Tucci
Biography
Life Story
Actor Stanley Tucci was born on November 11, 1960, in Peekskill, New York. He is the son of Joan (Tropiano), a writer, and Stanley Tucci, an art teacher. His family is Italian-American, with origins in Calabria.
Tucci took an interest in acting while in high school, and went on to attend the State University of New York's Conservatory of Theater Arts in Purchase. He began his professional career on the stage, making his Broadway debut in 1982, and then made his film debut in Prizzi's Honor (1985).
In 2009, Tucci received his first Academy Award nomination for his turn as a child murderer in The Lovely Bones (2009). He also received a BAFTA nomination and a Golden Globe nomination for the same role. Other than The Lovely Bones, Tucci has recently had noteworthy supporting turns in a broad range of movies including Lucky Number Slevin (2006), The Devil Wears Prada (2006) and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). Tucci reached his widest audience yet when he played Caesar Flickerman in box office sensation The Hunger Games (2012).
While maintaining an active career in movies, Tucci received major accolades for some work in television. He won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his role in TV movie Winchell (1998), an Emmy for a guest turn on Monk (2002), and a Golden Globe for his role in HBO movie Conspiracy (2001).
Tucci has also had an extensive career behind the camera. His directorial efforts include Big Night (1996), The Impostors (1998), Joe Gould's Secret (2000) and Blind Date (2007), and he did credited work on all of those screenplays with the exception of Joe Gould's Secret (2000).
Tucci has three children with Kate Tucci, who passed away in 2009. Tucci married Felicity Blunt in August 2012.
Family
Felicity Blunt (29 September 2012 - present) ( 2 children)
Trivia
Yet another alumnus of S.U.N.Y. Purchase whose other graduates include: Wesley Snipes; Sherry Stringfield; Parker Posey; Seth Gilliam; Adam Trese; Frank Liotti; Melissa Leo; directors Nick Gomez and Hal Hartley as well as producers Todd Baker and Bob Gosse.
Graduated from acting program at State University of NY at Purchase, May 1982.
Older brother of Christine Tucci.
Cousin of Joseph Tropiano.
21 January 2000-His wife, Kate Tucci, gave birth to twins Nicolo Robert (4 lbs 10 oz) and Isabel Concetta (4 lb 4 oz) in Manhattan. They also have a daughter named Camilla Tucci (born 2002).
Former co-owner of Finch Tavern in Croton Falls, New York. It has since been sold and the menu changed to more traditional Italian-American cuisine.
Was nominated for Broadway's 2003 Tony Award as Best Actor (Play) for a revival of Terence McNally's "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune".
In The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004), he plays Stanley Kubrick, who directed Peter Sellers in Dr. Strangelove (1964). In Robots (2005), he appears with James Earl Jones, who made his debut in Dr. Strangelove. In The Terminal (2004), he was directed by Steven Spielberg, who took over Kubrick's last project, A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001).
Was officially in the BAFTA longlist (Equivalently, the semi-finals) for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, for his role in The Devil Wears Prada (2006), which consisted of 15 finalists for each category (except Animated Film). However, he was eliminated in the next round, which the five official nominees were selected. [2007].
His father, also named Stanley Tucci, was an art teacher at Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, New York. His mother, Joan, was one of the receptionists at the main office.
Brother-in-law of Vincent Angell, Emily Blunt..
Was in a relationship with Edie Falco from April 2003 until March 2004.
Personal Quotes
I'm always looking around for another play, but only for a short run. I did "Frankie and Johnnie in the Claire de Lune" onstage with Edie Falco for six months, and it was very hard. Once you get past 14 weeks, I go crazy.
Independents don't exist any more. Let's be clear about that. Having made a lot of independent movies as an actor and director, trying to raise money-you can put Jesus Christ in your movie and it's really hard if it's an adult drama. The industry has changed significantly since I entered it. It's cyclical. But I don't think it's as healthy as it used to be.
I was doing a play once with Frances McDormand and I left because I so disagreed with the director's vision. Sometimes being miscast is not just, "Can I play this character?" but can I play it within this aesthetic -- on if he's ever been miscast.
With certain directors you can scream. "Look, forget it, it's not gonna happen. It doesn't behoove the situation, it doesn't behoove your film. I'm not doing it." And other times, it's simply a discussion. "Let's do one this way, let's do one that way."
[on whether acting is an art form] The technique is the craft. You can take a plot and tell it over and over again but to me, there's an individual truth to it. First of all, in order for it to be art it has to be truthful. Secondly, it has to be individually true. It's that true individuality and that real truth that makes it art.
[on why he is an actor] I think it's instinctual. You have a feeling at a certain age. Whether you want to be on stage, whether you want to paint, make music, whatever you want to do. What makes you feel comfortable? Even as a kid, I felt much more comfortable on stage than I did in real life.
[on his role as "George Harvey" in The Lovely Bones (2009)] I never wanted to play a serial killer. I don't like to watch things about serial killers or kids getting hurt. I can't stand that, really. But this was something beyond that. It was an exploration of loss and hope. And I'm glad that I chose to do it.
People like to cast me in a position of power because I'm incredibly smart and I get frustrated really easily. It's perfect
