Is Stanley Tucci a Chef? Why Fans Keep Asking About His Food Life

Despite his acting accolades, Stanley Tucci still gets mistaken for a chef. Stanley has appeared in The Devil Wears Prada, The Lovely Bones, The Hunger Games series, Spotlight, and Conclave. He also wrote, directed, and starred in Big Night, the 1996 food film about two Italian immigrant brothers trying to save their struggling restaurant.

However, Stanley has made food such an important part of his brand that the chef confusion follows him everywhere. Fans love his cooking videos, food shows, and cookbook era.

Still, many wonder if he is really a chef or just an actor who knows his way around a kitchen.

Stanley is not a chef, and he has said that himself. In a GQ interview, Stanley explained why people connect with his cooking videos.

“I think one of the reasons why people love them is that I’m not a chef,” he said. “I’m somebody who loves to cook and I’m a pretty good cook, but I make the same mistakes that people will make at home and have no problem acknowledging that. It’s a process and I think that’s part of what people enjoy.”

Stanley’s love of food comes from his family and upbringing.

He told NPR that his love of food began in his mother’s kitchen. “Everything is centered around food,” Stanley said. “It was what you talked about before you ate. It was what you talked about while you were eating. And it was what you talked about after you ate.”

He also told NPR that a great meal starts with quality ingredients, but the people at the table matter just as much. “A great meal starts with great ingredients. First of all, the quality of the ingredients makes a big difference, how those ingredients are combined,” Stanley added. “And then who are you sharing that meal with? That's absolutely crucial.”

Stanley is married to Felicity Blunt, a British literary agent and the older sister of actress Emily Blunt. According to People, Stanley and Felicity first met at the 2006 premiere of The Devil Wears Prada, where Stanley starred alongside Emily. They crossed paths again in 2010 at Emily Blunt and John Krasinski’s wedding at George Clooney’s home in Lake Como, Italy.

They started dating shortly after.

The couple married in a private ceremony in summer 2012. They later celebrated with a larger wedding in London that September. Stanley and Felicity now share two children, Matteo and Emilia. Felicity is also stepmother to Stanley’s three children from his first marriage to Kate Tucci, who died of breast cancer in 2009.

The actor has spoken warmly about Felicity’s place in his life. In an interview with BuzzFeed, he credited her with giving him a sense of security after Kate’s death.

“We had a lot in common, even though we had nothing in common. It just sort of stuck,” he said. “But I think she changed my life in the sense that she gave me a sense of security. She gave my children a sense of security. And she’s fun. Like, she’s fun to hang out with.”