Stanley Tucci is one of the most venerable character actors of his generation. Having played everyone from idealistic chef Secondo in 1996 indie film Big Night to the flamboyant Caesar in blockbuster The Hunger Games, Tucci is undoubtedly a multitalented performer. Away from the camera, however, his life has been filled with grief as well as some surprising controversies.
Since 2012, the actor has been married to British literary agent Felicity Blunt, the elder sister of his The Devil Wears Prada co-star Emily Blunt. That certainly sounds like an unusual pairing, so let's take a look inside Stanley Tucci and Felicity Blunt's marriage.
10 This Is The Tragic Story Behind Their Marriage
While Stanley Tucci may seem like the type of guy who avoids contention and salacious rumors, he's actually been embroiled in some pretty problematic incidents. Earlier this year he was blasted for comments he made about straight actors playing gay characters, remarks that seemed to deviate from his agreeable persona.
But this was not the first time the actor stirred controversy. Years before he wed Felicity Blunt, he was married to Kathryn Tucci, who died of cancer in 2009. Prior to his wife's diagnosis, Tucci had been cheating on her with The Sopranos actress Edie Falco before eventually returning to Kathryn and their kids.
9 Emily Blunt Introduced The Two
Emily Blunt and John Krasinski are known to be one of the most wholesome couples in Hollywood. At their 2010 wedding in Italy, Emily played matchmaker by introducing her elder sister, Felicity, to Tucci.
The pair hit it off immediately and tied the knot in 2012. But that wasn't the first time Tucci laid eyes on his future wife...
8 Felicity Blunt Had Actually Met Tucci's Late Wife Years Earlier
In a surprising turn of events, it has been revealed that Felicity Blunt actually met Kathryn Tucci years before she became romantically involved with Stanley. Not only that, but it was no fleeting encounter - the pair chatted for hours. "I first met Fi at the premiere of The Devil Wears Prada; she spent most of the evening talking to Kathryn," Tucci explained to House Beautiful.
This was back in 2006 and Kathryn lived for 3 more years before the cancer took her life. Reflecting on the bizarre fact that his late wife had met his current wife at the premiere, Tucci told Marc Maron, "But that's where I met Emily and we became friends. And, actually, Felicity - Emily's sister, my wife - she and Kate talked at the premiere that night and I have a photo of them together, which is so odd. And then many years later, I ended up marrying Felicity."
7 They Have A Huge Age Gap
With a career spanning over 35 years, Stanley Tucci was acting in movies when his wife was still in kindergarten. Tucci is 60-years-old, albeit a youthful-looking sexagenarian, while Blunt is just 39-years-old. However, the couple appears to be very much in love, so the age gap seems to have little bearing on their relationship.
6 Tucci Relocated To London To Live With Blunt
Brits moving to the States is a pretty common story, but what about Americans who emigrate to the United Kingdom? There are more of them than you think: from Taylor Swift purchasing a swanky London pad to share with boyfriend Joe Alwyn to, well, Kevin Spacey (lest we forget) moving to London to run the Old Vic Theater, lots of US celebs love Britain.
When Tucci married Blunt, he relocated to her native UK to be with her, which is the opposite of what her sister did when she wed John Krasinski.
5 And He Is Loving London Life
When he first moved to Britain, Tucci lived with Blunt in an apartment in the affluent Notting Hill area, made famous by the '90s Hugh Grant film. Now the couple lives in Barnes, which is near the fancy Richmond region.
Asked about moving to London, Tucci told the Evening Standard, "I love it, it's a great city - just driving around today, you just look over, and say, oh my god, look at the architecture, look at the Thames."
4 Tucci Became A Dad For The Fourth And Fifth Time In His 50s
Stanley Tucci already had 3 kids from his first marriage when he married Blunt. At the age of 54, he became a father for the fourth time when Blunt gave birth to the couple's son, Matteo, in 2015. Then, he welcomed his fifth child, daughter Emilia, at the age of 57 in 2018.
There are a lot of celebs who welcomed kids much later in life, so this isn't too out of the ordinary.
3 Their Son Is Growing Up "Posh"
He may be a native New Yorker, but Tucci is having to face the fact that raising his kids in England will give them markedly different accents to his own. In fact, his son, Matteo, is beginning to sound like a little English gent.
"We don't know why he's so posh," Tucci joked during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show. "My wife isn't really posh, she speaks eloquently. I just don't get it. He's the kind of kid who says... he was looking for something in his playroom and he couldn't find it... and he said [in a posh voice], 'I mean... It can't just have vanished.' Who says that? He was four."
2 Cooking Is A Major Part Of Their Marriage
It's no secret that Tucci is an avid chef; he's now found a kindred spirit in Blunt, who also loves to look. "We often cook together... At least 75 per cent of our conversations are about food," he told House Beautiful.
The couple released their own cookbook, The Tucci Table: Cooking with Family and Friends, in 2014. Last year, a video of Tucci making Negroni for Blunt went viral.
1 Tucci Has Praised Blunt's Strength And Openness
Marrying for the second time in the wake of grief isn't easy. Accordingly, Tucci has nothing but praise for Blunt for welcoming the widower (and his kids) into her life.
"It is not easy to find someone who is going to take on three teenagers and a widower. That's a lot," he explained to the Guardian in 2017. "But she was willing to take on that challenge. She cares for the kids as if they are her own, and it is a tough role, being a step-parent."
