Stanley Tucci, one of the greatest actors of the past decade, has played parts in many a franchise. From a supporting role in the Hunger Games movies to playing genius scientist Dr. Erskine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they've shown Tucci possesses quite the range. The accomplished actor also has a list of voice credits a mile long, which speak to his character. Tucci even worked through a serious health scare.
Fans might not know this about Stanley Tucci, but the actor revealed he was battling cancer not long ago. Tucci gave the scoop to Virgin Atlantic's in-flight magazine, where he spoke in-depth about his diagnosis. He detailed how a tumor at the base of his tongue became too large to operate on, forcing Tucci to undergo chemotherapy as an alternative. Tucci also had to eat through a feeding tube for six months. Not a pleasant time in the least.
How Recovering From Cancer Affected His Show
Fortunately, the treatments worked, allowing Tucci to return to work in 2019. The bad news is he was still feeling the ill effects of chemo a year after cancer treatments. Tucci's sense of taste and smell returned thankfully, but he couldn't choke down food all the time. And that side effect couldn't have stricken Tucci at a worse time.
While still recovering from cancer, Tucci began shooting a travel show for CNN called Searching For Italy. The focus of the show being different foods found across the country. Its' premise wasn't impossible for Tucci to work with, although he did encounter a substantial problem. He couldn't swallow the food.
Presumably, for photography purposes, Tucci had to chew the foods he was trying for several minutes at a time. The issue was that the Hunger Games actor couldn't swallow anything he had to review. Most actors in that situation would've postponed filming or simply refused to work as hard, but not Stanley Tucci. He pushed through the uncomfortable task to get Searching For Italy made.
Keep in mind that discomfort was the least of what Tucci dealt with while recovering from cancer. One of his central concerns was losing his sense of taste altogether. Tucci reportedly had ulcers on his tongue, along with a rancid taste in his mouth to go with them. Those symptoms alone made eating difficult, so to say he persevered through hard times is an understatement.
The good news is that the actor toughed it out and his work proved fruitful. CNN has renewed Searching For Italy for a second season. The report dropped shortly after Season 1 drew to a close, mainly because fans asked for it. That doesn't always happen, but apparently, the CNN Original Series was a big enough draw that the network renewed it.
As for Tucci himself, he's presumably recovered and ready to enjoy everything Italy has to offer to the fullest. One can only imagine how disappointing it must have been to try all sorts of delectable cuisines yet not be able to consume them properly. Tucci likely knows this better than anyone, giving us reason to believe that he'll be on board with Season 2 as soon as CNN is ready to shoot.
There is, however, one thing standing in Tucci's way: film schedules. He's not shooting anything besides a couple of movies which shouldn't require much time to complete. So, it's feasible that he's available to return for Season 2 of the travel show whenever called.
The thing about Searching For Italy Season 2 is it doesn't have an official date yet. Despite being announced in early 2021, CNN hasn't revealed when the show will return. Although, a similar release schedule would place its sophomore season around Valentine's Day 2022 as long as nothing hinders production.
Stanley Tucci: Searching For Italy airs on CNN.
