Stanley Tucci: Little Hair, Lots of Talent

For every Chris Hemsworth or Jennifer Lawrence, there are a slew of other great actors out there who help make films and TV shows possible. Supporting characters are the backbone of any story, and though the actors in these roles may not have as much screen time as the leads, it doesn’t mean that their performances are any less stellar. Stanley Tucci is one of these supporting superstars— the man’s body of work is prolific, and I have yet to ever see him in a film where he was anything other than phenomenal. So, sit back, grab some Nerds Rope, and take a trek with me down Tucci Lane as we examine some of Stanley’s work.

Easy A

Role: Dill

In movies about teens, parents tend to be one of two things: obstacles, or phantoms. They’re either there to slow down the teen hero from doing what they want, or exist as a phantom whose sole purpose is to let the audience know the hero isn’t an orphan, then disappearing whenever having them around would be inconvenient. Easy A went a different route. Protagonist Olive’s parents, portrayed by Stanley Tucci and the equally wonderful Patricia Clarkson, are supporting, funny, three-dimensional characters. These are parents who are not only there for olive, but have lives and interests of their own. Unlike most parental characters, you really get a sense that they have a history preceding Olive’s existence. It’s too bad more stories don’t feature such supportive parental figures. I guess everyone would rather write their way through their daddy issues. Bah, humbug!

Captain America: The First Avenger

Role: Dr. Abraham Erskine

Stanley Tucci’s performance as Dr. Abraham Erskine really helps cement the emotional core to Captain America. Tucci plays Dr. Erskine as a man who has seen the corrupting effects of power, and the horrific things people can do with it, but still believes that, in the right hands, amazing things can be accomplished when people have access to the right tools. While it would have been easy for Steve Rogers’ ego to inflate to Tony Starkian proportions, Steve stays level-headed and humble even when he’s an American icon, kicking Nazi ass all the way across Europe, and much of that has to do with Dr. Erskine’s deeply personal advice. Stanley Tucci portrays Dr. Erskine with a quiet dignity, really selling how much he believes in Steve Rogers’ strength of character. It’s his performance, and (spoilers) his character’s death that helps propel Steve into action without him ever losing sight of who he is.

The Hunger Games

Role: Caesar Flickman

Caesar Flickman is the Hunger Games’ equivalent of Ryan Seacrest: he’s affable, he’s the host of the most popular reality show in the nation, and he’s got a smile so bright it’s technically a non-lethal weapon. Translating this role from novel to screen was no easy task (adapting a story from one medium to another never is) and yet, when Stanley Tucci stepped into the flamboyant role, the man vanished, and was replaced with the character himself. Between Stanley’s performance and the phenomenal makeup and clothing, few Hunger Games fans could deny how memorable Caesar Flickman was, despite his relatively small amount of screen time.

These are but three films starring the wondrous Mr. Tucci, so feel free to bring up any of his other excellent roles.