Stanley Tucci talks Hollywood Walk of Fame star, No. 1 movie

NEW YORK, May 12 (UPI) --Stanley Tucci is having quite a month.

Not only did the beloved actor recently get a well-earned star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but his movie The Devil Wears Prada 2 has topped the North American box office for the past two weekends and his lifestyle series, Tucci in Italy, returns for a second season.

Somewhere in there, he also found time to attend the posh Met Gala with his wife, Felicity Blunt.

"I've been at it for 45 years. So, it feels good," Tucci, 65, told UPI in a Zoom interview about his run of good fortune.

"Careers in Hollywood, they do this," he said, moving his hand up and down.

"They're always doing that and now we're up here. Talk to me in a couple of years, I'll be back down again," he laughed.

Premiering Tuesday on Hulu and Disney+, Season 2 of the Nat Geo series sees Tucci visits new regions such as Le Marche, Campania, Veneto, Sardinia and Sicily.

"I just wanted to explore more of Italy and show people how diverse it is, how complex it is, but, of course, all through the prism of food," Tucci said.

"We shot them over a period of seven months, all in one, and then we decided how we would group them and separate them into two seasons."

Tucci in Italy shows how the country offers different experiences depending on if one is by the beach, in the mountains, in rural towns, on farms and in big cities.

"It's got a history of thousands of years. There's a lot there and I think that what the show does is it shows people how important food is, that the quality is not about Michelin- starred restaurants," he explained.

"We do go to some. But that's not what the show's about. You don't have to be wealthy to have good food," Tucci added. "You need to just have good ingredients and know how to cook and learn how to cook and share that with people. That is an absolutely invaluable part of life."

The actor said Le Marche has a special place in his heart.

"I've taken a vacation there for quite a few years and I just think it's beautiful," he said.

"My wife and I both love it and it's very quiet. It's very sort of under the radar," Tucci added. "Not anymore, I guess, after this comes out. But it has a beautiful coastline. It has amazing food, very diverse food and it's a very eco-friendly region, too."

Tucci directed several episodes in addition to hosting this season.

"For me, what's important is that, we have to find the right music, right? And that's hard and to piece it all together within the appointed time," he noted.

"So, each story really only gets like six to eight minutes and there's a lot to tell in that six to eight minutes, but you don't want it to be too choppy," Tucci added.

"You want it to have some sort of continuum. So, it's quite a huge effort to get to where we get to, but we also have great editors and producers and composers and all that sort of stuff. It's just like any piece of film-making. It's a collaboration."

One of Tucci's most famous comedies, America's Sweethearts -- which is about a press junket for a high-profile movie where everything goes wrong -- turns 25 this year.

It co-starred Julia Roberts, John Cusack, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Hank Azaria, Billy Crystal, Alan Arkin and Christopher Walken.

Tucci played a ruthless studio head, who will do anything to ensure a hit.

Asked if he thinks the people involved in the film industry have changed much since the film was released, Tucci replied: "It's not totally different. There's still a lot in that movie that's relevant, let's face it.

"Press junkets are still happening. Of course, the formats are different," he said acknowledging the Zoom interview he was in the midst of.

"I love that movie. I think it's a really, really funny movie. I think Billy Crystal did such a brilliant job writing it. The experience of making it was really fun."

He said the biggest sea change that has happened since 2001 is that so many movies bypass theaters and go straight to streaming services nowadays.

"Movies were movies," he said. "Now, I don't know what they are. "The fact that The Devil Wears Prada has been so successful in movie theaters is an enormous thing. It doesn't happen anymore."

Reminded that Conclave also enjoyed a robust theatrical run, Tucci agreed and said, "There are great visual elements to those films.

"Conclave is a stunning looking film and The Devil Wears Prada has the fashion and all that."

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This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 1:04 PM.