Stanley Tucci has spoken candidly about the enduring grief he feels after the death of his first wife, Kate, who died of breast cancer in 2009 at the age of 47.
The actor, known for his roles in The Devil Wears Prada and The Hunger Games, as well as his love of Italian cuisine, has often reflected on the impact of his loss and how it has shaped his life since.
In a recent interview with The Guardian, Tucci spoke candidly about how grief remains a part of his daily life, saying, “It’s always there. But if it stays as prominent in your life as it was in the beginning, you won’t be able to.” Post R.
“You couldn’t take care of your kids. You couldn’t get a job. You couldn’t do anything.”
Tucci and Kate have been married for 14 years and have three children. He described how people learn over time how to manage their grief: “Whether we know it or not, we’re telling ourselves to let it go. And the person who died doesn’t want you to be that way.”
“Although I want my wife to be like this when I die. I want her to be incredibly miserable,” he added, with his trademark sense of humor.
In 2012, Tucci married literary agent Felicity Blunt, whom he met through her sister, actress Emily Blunt, his co-star in The Devil Wears Prada. He and Felicity now have two children. “We are building a house for her to live in after I die – with her lover(s),” Tucci said, thinking about his new life and family. This joke exemplifies Tucci’s ability to balance the deep sadness he still feels for Kate with the joy and humor he finds in his current life.
The actor’s passion for food has become stronger in recent years. His show, Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy, allowed him to explore the cuisine of his Italian heritage.
Tucci talked about how cooking became a source of comfort and a way to process his feelings and connect with his past and present.
In his latest book, What I Ate in One Year, Tucci reflects on his experiences through food, detailing how memories are often linked to the process of cooking and eating.
“Once you start writing, it helps you make connections and realize that writing about a piece of hot dog or whatever, suddenly this whole other memory unfolds.”
Tucci also spoke about the challenges he faced in his life after grief, including his battle with oral cancer in 2017.
The actor underwent treatment, which affected his ability to eat and left him feeling weak. He remembers watching cooking shows while on a feeding tube, describing them as a form of torture.
“I didn’t want to do the treatment, because I knew too much about cancer treatments. I’d seen it. And I wanted to do alternative treatments. But Felicity was very against it.”
He continued: “I was so weak. Walking up the stairs was such an effort. It was terrible. Then, eventually, slowly, slowly, slowly you got better.”
