BORA Magazine 01|2020 – English

PROFILE
EXPERIENCE
HOLLYWOOD
at the hob
Not only is Stanley Tucci an internationally
renowned film star, but he’s also the author
of two cookbooks and a keen amateur chef.
And then there’s his enthusiasm for BORA.
Stanley who? When I recently told my friends
about an interview with the American actor
Stanley Tucci, there was a lot of shoulder
shrugging. Who? A quick hint: the art director
in The Devil Wears Prada! In the Hollywood
blockbuster he plays the only haven of tranquillity
in the hysterical chaos surrounding the editor of
Runway, played by Meryl Streep. His performance
shines alongside stars like Anne Hathaway and
Emily Blunt (whose sister he is married to in real
life). The following image springs to mind: a bald
head and dark horn-rimmed glasses. Everyone
nods now: “Oh him. Of course!”
He’s one of those actors whose face you could
recognise in your sleep. But whose name is not
so quick to roll off the tongue. Perhaps that’s
down to his transformation skills. He was once
referred to as the ‘king of great small roles’. The
Italian American has been ranked high up on the
Hollywood cast list for decades: The Pelican
Brief, Maid in Manhattan, The Hunger Games,
Transformers – all blockbusters. Tucci is a
charismatic character actor who has won
several Emmy Awards and Golden Globes.
But that’s just by the by. In our interview we
discuss something completely different: his
passion for cooking. Previous talks with his New
York PR agent are in the laid-back American style
and he himself is charming and very precise. His
enthusiasm for cooking comes through in every
sentence. “Without a doubt, I get this passion
from my family. I grew up with wonderful food.
On Sundays we all used to sit around a big table
with my grandmother to eat. Over the years,
we’ve built up a collection of the recipes from
back then. Today, I’m passing them on to my
own children – the next generation.” Although
sometimes he’s away filming for several months,
far from his wife and children. He currently has
three films in the pipeline. When he’s back in
Photo: Gerhard Kassner
BORA MAGAZINE 67