From Loss to Transformation: Stanley Tucci's Journey Through Cancer
Stanley Tucci Opens Up About His Cancer Battle and How it Transformed Him
In a candid interview, beloved actor Stanley Tucci has spoken out about his harrowing experience with oral cancer, which he was diagnosed with in 2017. The 64-year-old actor, who is now cancer-free, revealed that the ordeal was "awful" but ultimately helped him transform his life.
Tucci's journey began when doctors discovered a tumor at the base of his tongue, prompting a 35-day treatment plan that included six rounds of chemotherapy and left him unable to eat. He had to rely on a feeding tube for six months, losing a staggering 35 pounds in the process. But despite the challenges he faced, Tucci emerged from this experience with a newfound appreciation for life.
"It was awful to go through it after my wife had died and friends had died," Tucci recalled, "but I am happier than I was before." His late wife, Kathryn, passed away in 2009 at just 47 years old due to breast cancer. The couple shared two children, Nicolo and Camilla, who are now 25 and 23 years old respectively.
Tucci's love life has also undergone a transformation since his diagnosis. He has been married to Felicity Blunt, the sister of Emily Blunt, for 12 years and shares two children with her. But despite his busy schedule, Tucci has become an exercise fanatic, crediting his newfound passion for keeping him in top shape.
"I really can't go more than 24 hours without exercising," he revealed to The Times. "I'm in much better shape than I was before I got sick." His wife, Felicity, also spoke about his cancer treatment, describing it as "pretty horrific."
"Stan is the same, he loves food," she said at the Bazaar At Work Summit last year. "It's well known that my husband went through cancer treatment, and it was pretty horrific. He had oral cancer, and he couldn't believe he couldn't even speak." Felicity went on to describe how their social lives were affected by his illness.
"When you genuinely cannot eat, how it leaves you outside of so much," she said. "Seeing him recover that, and when he couldn't taste anything, it was genuinely frightening."
Tucci's ongoing grief for his late wife has been a topic of conversation in the past. In 2021, he opened up about his struggles with CBS Sunday Morning, revealing that the loss still haunts him more than a decade later.
"It's still hard after 11 years," he said, "It's still hard. And it will always be hard. But you can't let it... she would never want any of us to ever wallow in that grief and let it take over our lives."
Tucci's tribute to his late wife, Kathryn, is a testament to the enduring impact she had on those around her. He has spoken publicly about how she was an extraordinary person who left behind a lasting legacy.
As Tucci looks to the future, he's focused on making the most of the time he has left. "I have a stronger sense of self," he said, "in 15 years I'll be 80 years old and there's a lot of stuff that I want to do before then." With his health now in check and his love for life renewed, it's clear that Stanley Tucci is ready to take on whatever comes next.