With his swarthy Italian looks and ever-receding hairline, this formidable character actor was initially stereotyped as a small-screen bad guy, with recurring roles on
Miami Vice and
Wiseguy offering him lots of exposure but little challenge. Stage-trained and extremely versatile, Tucci spent a decade building up his résumé with myriad villainous turns, before essaying his breakthrough role as a '50s restaurateur in
Big Night. A labor of love, Tucci cowrote the film with his cousin, Joseph Tropiano, codirected it with childhood friend Campbell Scott, cast his good friend Tony Shalhoub as his brother, and even gave his real-life sister Christine Tucci a part. The risk paid off with immense critical and modest commercial success, and Tucci was suddenly in demand. Alternating seamlessly between blockbusters and indies, comedies and dramas, the small and the big screen, he turned in a slew of impressive performances. Although he was no longer typecast as Italian or a villain, he never played straight-up heroes, either. He won an Emmy for the TV-movie
Winchell, about the sleazy gossip columnist, and a nomination for his portrayal of infamous Nazi Adolf Eichmann in
Conspiracy; meanwhile in features he played neurotic (
Maid in Manhattan), awkward (
Shall We Dance?) and angry (
The Terminal) with equal aplomb. Tucci became a gossip target when he left his wife and children for Edie Falco, his costar in the 2002 Broadway revival of the sexually charged
Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, but the relationship didn't last.
Stanley Tucci Fast Facts:
- Went to high school with Campbell Scott; together they codirected the 1996 movie Big Night and shared the Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best New Director.
- Scott's mother, actress Colleen Dewhurst, helped Tucci land a small role in the 1982 play The Queen and the Rebels, which marked his Broadway debut.
- Frequently works with Tony Shalhoub. The two met in 1989 while appearing together in the play Moon Over Miami at the Yale Repertory Theater. Tucci subsequently cast Shalhoub in Big Night (1996) and The Imposters (1998), both of which he directed. In turn, Shalhoub gave Tucci a guest spot on his series Monk in 2006.
- Appeared alongside Jennifer Lopez in both Maid in Manhattan (2002) and Shall We Dance? (2004).
- A gourmet cook, Tucci was formerly co-owner of a New York restaurant called the Finch Tavern.
- Studied acting at SUNY Purchase as did his ex-girlfriend Edie Falco. However, the two weren't there simultaneously.
- Stanley Tucci Relationships:
- Edie Falco - Ex-significant Other
- Christine Tucci - Sister
- Gina Tucci - Sister
- Isabel Concetta Tucci - Daughter
- Joan Tropiano Tucci - Mother
- Joseph Tropiano - Cousin
- Kate Tucci - Ex-wife
- Nicolo Robert Tucci - Son
- Stanley Tucci Sr. - Father
- Stanley Tucci Awards:
- 1999 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - Winner
- 2002 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - Winner
- 1999 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie - Winner
- 1996 Emmy: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series - Nominee
- 2001 Emmy: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie - Nominee
- 2003 Tony: Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play - Nominee
- 2007 Emmy: Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series - Winner
- 2008 Emmy: Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series - Nominee
- College:
- State University of New York, Purchase, Purchase, NY (BFA in Drama, 1982)
