Big Night

Background:

Italian-American actor Stanley Tucci, who first gained public recognition through his role of Richard Cross in the courtroom drama “Murder One” (1995-1996, collected a Golden Satellite Award and a Viewers for Quality Television Award, as well as an Emmy nomination), rose to a higher pedestal after successfully making his directing and screenwriting debut with the drama Big Night (1996, also costarred as Secondo, opposite Tony Shalhoub). For his hard work in the debut, the actor reaped a Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award from the Sundance Film Festival, a Boston Society of Film Critics Award, an Independent Spirit Award, a New York Film Critics Circle Award and a Boston Society of Film Critics Award. As an actor, Tucci became a two-time Golden Globe winner for his superb performances in the TV films Winchell (1998, also won an Emmy Award) and Conspiracy (2001, also earned a second Emmy nomination). The versatile performer then mesmerized stage audiences with his Tony-nominated part in the Broadway production of “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune” (2003).

Outside the spotlight, Tucci, who owns a production company named First Cold Press Prods, signed a two-year deal with Rysher Entertainment in 1996 to write, direct and produce films through his company. Privately speaking, the actor/director is married to Kate Tucci, with whom he has two children and two stepchildren.


Italian-American

Childhood and Family:

Of Italian-American descent, Stanley Tucci was born on January 11, 1960, in Katonah, New York, to former art teacher Stanley Tucci Sr. and former secretary Joan Tucci. He is also the brother of actress Christine Tucci and illustrator Gina Tucci.

Graduating from John Jay High School in Katonah, Stanley took acting programs at the State University of New York. After finishing his education with a title of B.F.A in theater in 1982, he began acting professionally.

On a more private note, Stanley is the husband of social worker Kate Tucci, whom he married in April 1995. He is also the stepfather of two children, from Kate’s previous marriage. On January 21, 2000, Stanley’s wife gave birth to twins Nicolo Robert (son) and Isabel Concetta (daughter), in Manhattan, New York.


Murder One

Career:

Soon after graduating college, Stanley Tucci made his professional debut in “The Queen and the Rebels” (1982). Three years later, he went to the screen and acquired a small part in Prizzi’s Honor (1985), as a soldier. It was ensued with a TV debut in an episode of “Crime Story” (1987, played Zack Lowman) and the thriller Kojak: The Price of Justice (1987).

Tucci, who in 1986 first appeared in “Miami Vice” as Steven Demarco, reemerged on the series with the guest part of mob chieftain Frank Mosca in 1987 and 1988. He was also cast in the recurring role of predatory gangster Enrico ‘Rick’ Pinzolo in “Wiseguy” (1988-1989), and had a small turn in the crime comedy Quick Change (1990). Tucci continued building his career by accepting roles in the star-studded gangster movie Billy Bathgate (1991), the independent drama comedy In the Soup (1992, as Gregoire), the adaptation of John Grisham’s novel The Pelican Brief (1993, as Khamel the Arab assassin) and It Could Happen to You (1994, played Eddie Biasi).

The newcomer’s triumphant role was that of suspicious defendant Richard Cross in the Steven Bochco-created courtroom drama “Murder One” (1995-1996), in which he collected a Golden Satellite and a Viewers for Quality Television for Best Supporting Actor, as well as earned an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Tucci also made a successful debut as a director and screenwriter by co-directing (with Campbell Scott) and co-writing (with his cousin Joseph Tropiano) the drama Big Night (1996, also costarred as Secondo, opposite Tony Shalhoub). Thanks to his unrelenting effort in the self-produced drama, he harvested a Boston Society of Film Critics and Independent Spirit for Best Screenplay, a Waldo Salt Screenwriting award from the Sundance Film Festival, a New York Film Critics Circle and a Boston Society of Film Critics for Best New Director. Following his turn as Paul Epstein, a friend and novel character of the main character in Deconstructing Harry (1997), Tucci won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for Best Actor after portraying the titular turn of an influential and controversial columnist in Winchell (1998, TV). For the same role, he was also nominated for a Screen Actors Guild for Best Actor.

Still in 1998, the actor made a solo attempt in writing, producing and directing with the slapstick comedy The Impostors, in which he also starred as washed-up actor Arthur. Tucci was then seen as Puck (Robin Goodfellow) in an adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1999) before playing New Yorker staff writer Joe Mitchell in his self-directed and produced drama Joe Gould’s Secret (2000).

For the second time, Tucci received an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actor through his fine turn as Adolf Eichmann in the TV historical film about the Holocaust, Conspiracy (2001). Even better, the turn also won him a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor. After portraying mobster boss Frank Nitti in the screen version of Max Allan Collins and Richard Piers Rayner’s graphic novel Road to Perdition (2002), the actor served as the executive producer for The Mudge Boy (2003), a drama about a misfit farm boy trying to cope with his mother’s death.

Returning to the stage after two decades, Tucci successfully took the leading role in the Broadway revival of Terence McNally’s “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune” (2003) and received a Tony nomination for Best Actor in a Play. He was then seen in box-office films like The Core (2003, as Dr. Conrad Zimsky) and Steven Spielberg’s The Terminal (2004, starred as Frank Dixon), before doing voiceover work for Herb Copperbottom in the animated feature Robots (2005).

Recently, Tucci was cast as Detective Brikowski in the star-studded thriller Lucky Number Slevin (2006) and played Nigel in the box-office hit The Devil Wears Prada (2006). He will also play roles in the drama Four Last Songs (2006, has the leading role of Larry), the medical series “3 lbs.” (2007) and the animated movie Cat Tale (2008, voiced Simon). In the meantime, he is set to take on the off-camera task of director with the drama Blind Date (2007), starring his old-time colleague Tony Shalhoub and Patricia Clarkson.


Awards:

- Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, Conspiracy, 2002
- Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie, Winchell, 1999
- Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV, Winchell, 1999
- Golden Satellite: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, Murder One, 1997
- Viewers for Quality Television: Q Award - Best Supporting Actor in a Quality Drama Series, Murder One, 1996
- Independent Spirit: Best First Screenplay, Big Night, 1997
- Sundance Film Festival: Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, Big Night, 1996
- Boston Society of Film Critics: Best New Filmmaker, Big Night, 1996
- Boston Society of Film Critics: Best Screenplay, Big Night, 1996
- New York Film Critics Circle: Best New Director, Big Night, 1996