He's Back! Stanley Tucci Interview: His New Italy Travel Show Inspires

Forbes

12-05-2025

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Buon appetito! Treat yourself to a virtual mini-vacation in Italy, guided on-screen by award-winning actor, director, producer and author Stanley Tucci, who charmingly (and some fans say seductively) steers la dolce vita on his new travel-and-food show, Tucci in Italy. It premieres May 18th on National Geographic; all episodes stream the next day on Disney+ and Hulu. In this gorgeously filmed, narrative-bountiful, five-part series, Tucci traverses the regions of Tuscany, Lombardy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Abruzzo and Lazio. He devours distinctive morsels and crafts compelling stories with chefs, fishermen, farmers, cheese producers, purveyors and artisans. Surprises — such as galloping Italian cowboys and hot barbecue experts — delight. 'Italy is a feast for the senses,' asserts Tucci. 'I believe that the best way to understand what makes a country and its people unique is through their food.' Tucci's affection for his family's ancestral land has intoxicating appeal. 'Tucci in Italy is an invitation to the table,' he adds. 'It's about more than just the food; it's about the people, the history and the passion that makes Italy so special. I believe that eating well is inspiring, and I hope to inspire viewers to embrace the beauty and richness of Italian culture.'
Created by Tucci's SALT Productions, in alliance with BBC Studios' Specialist Factual Productions, this palate-informing travelogue uncovers fresh off-the-beaten-path finds, societal insights and spirited fun. Its new broadcasting perch at critically acclaimed National Geographic — a brand with vast content that boasts, via social media, more than 780 million global followers — positions Tucci in Italy on a heightened trajectory. (Tucci's previous on-the-go culinary series ran for two seasons at CNN.)
Via Zoom, Tucci and I dished about our zest for Italian gastronomy and the uplift that travel encourages:
Laura Manske: 'Ciao, Stanley! Let's talk first about your new home at Nat Geo.'
Stanley Tucci: 'National Geographic has been absolutely great. I was happy when it picked up the show. A joy to work with Tom McDonald [Executive Vice President of Global Factual and Unscripted Content at National Geographic], who oversaw everything that we are doing. I'm glad that it will give our show a much larger platform — an opportunity for a lot more people to see it.'
Manske: 'What lights your fire most about hosting this show?'
Tucci: 'I am very happy when I encounter a story or people who inspire. Or who are doing something new or who love what they do. That always brings me joy. Yet one of the reasons I wanted to continue doing the show is that it makes other people very happy. It brings joy to them. Part of being a performer is that it is your job [to bring people joy].'
Tucci muses about why food elicits emotional sustenance.
Manske: 'Your best unexpected pleasure?'
Tucci: '[We went] to regions that I hadn't been to before, like Abruzzo. The whole point is to show how truly diverse Italy is. [It is interesting to see how] certain regions are still almost like Italy was 30 years ago, simply because of the infrastructure that is there or is not there, [influenced by] the topography.'
Manske: 'Behind the scenes, what have been your most important lessons as host?'
Tucci: 'Get lots of rest, exercise every day and listen.'
Manske: 'What is the most underrated Italian ingredient?'
Tucci: 'Italian potatoes. They are incredibly flavorful.'
Manske: 'The most overrated Italian food?'
Tucci: 'I don't think that there is an overrated Italian food. There is some badly prepared Italian food.'
Manske: 'What one dish do you wish American home cooks knew how to make well?'
Tucci: 'Simple spaghetti marinara.'
In Abruzzo, with leading food-and-motor journalist Cristina Bacchetti, Tucci sizzles meat at Ristoro Mucciante, an iconic roadside BBQ joint, as one of its owners, Rodolfo Mucciante, instructs.
Manske: 'Your essential Italian food advice?'
Tucci: 'If you're cooking, use the best ingredients that you can. If you're going to a restaurant, don't go anywhere too fancy. Go where locals go.'
Manske: 'What six ingredients are always in your home refrigerator or pantry?'
Tucci: 'Olive oil, onions, salt, garlic, tomatoes and pasta.'
Manske: 'The same six as mine, Stanley.'
Tucci laughs.
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In step with his ample show biz accomplishments — directing five movies, as well as acting in more than 70 films, myriad TV shows and a dozen plays on and off Broadway — Tucci is also a skilled home cook and engaging writer. He has poured those two talents into The Tucci Cookbook and The Tucci Table: Cooking With Family and Friends — long-time kitchen bookshelf favorites, chock-full of cherished classic fare and innovative recipes, seasoned throughout with affectionate anecdotes. Curl up in an armchair to read his particularly poignant memoir, Taste: My Life Through Food, which illuminates the magic of shared meals and a life lived fully, navigating both his successful career highs and his deeply daunting personal challenges. Tucci's recently published What I Ate In One Year (and Related Thoughts) is another touching memoir based on a 12-month journal he kept, as he dashed and dallied among restaurants and kitchens worldwide. On film sets, in his home and those of pals, at getaways with friends, family, colleagues and strangers, Tucci illustrates the profound roles that food plays and how its impact is ever evolving. 'Sharing food is one of the purest human acts,' he writes. In What I Ate, Tucci's loved ones, especially his children and wife Felicity Blunt, are tenderly attended. His wit, detailed observations, colorful descriptions and intimate reflections are embraceable portals.
He brings this gusto to Tucci in Italy. Episodes unfold dozens of inquisitive storylines. Savor the allure of Tuscany's romantic draw. Eye the sophisticated swirl of Milan. Feel the artistic aura of Florence. Imagine partaking in a colossal outdoor communal dinner in Siena. In Lombardy, the nation's industrial heartland, be intrigued by futuristic farming techniques. Italy's northernmost region, Trentino-Alto Adige borders Switzerland and Austria; thus, many of its residents speak Italian and German, weaving a complex identity. Watch Tucci mountain ski and eat polenta slope-side. Envision yourself, too, hiking the sheep-grazing terrain of Abruzzo. Revel in the still glorious classical architecture of Lazio's Rome. Then, with Tucci as your fantasy driver, wend along winding roads, past vineyards and forests, to meet fascinating folk and to indulge in pizza, porchetta, lamb and rustic fish soup. That's just for starters.
Here, photos from Tucci in Italy to stimulate your appetite and sense of far-flung adventure.
Impeccable spaghetti by chef Marteen Dekort at restaurant Dalla Lola in Florence.
Tuscan cowboys work an immense farm.
With chef and owner Diego Rossi at Trippa, one of the most creative and talked about trattorias in Italy.
Taco with amberjack, flowers, leaves and herbs at stellar Da Vittorio in Brusaporto.
Tucci goes fly fishing in a glacial river, then cooks the catch bankside with local fishermen.
Chef Franz Mulser presents his signature hay soup, ladled into a homemade bread bowl at his tiny Alpine hut-restaurant Gostner Schwaige.
Torcinello, a traditional sausage from Abruzzo, served with scampi, sea asparagus and sweet pepper sauce.
The serene undulating Apennine range in Gran Sasso National Park.
in Lazio, cheese aficionados have many reasons to smile.
Roman Margherita pizza perfection.
This interview was edited for clarity and length.
For other current articles by Laura Manske, read Like Nothing You've Seen Before: Nat Geo's 'Secrets Of The Penguins' and Asian Food And Travel Expert Danielle Chang Charms: TV's 'Lucky Chow'.