Stanley Tucci candidly recalls 'terrifying' cancer journey which left him unable to taste

Stanley Tuccimight be an American-born actor, but we Brits like to consider him an honorary Englishman.

Thanks to his time spent living in the UK with his British-born writer andpublisher wife, Felicity Blunt (sister of actor, Emily), and his vocal adoration for Blighty, many (including this writer) have come to think of him as one of our own.

The Hollywood screen star is known for his iconic roles in films such as The Devil Wears Prada and The Hunger Games but he also knows his way around a kitchen.

What's more, the 63-year-old, who hails from New York and has Italian heritage, has become synonymous with great food and even better social media content.

However, despite widespread adoration and success, the charming Golden Globe Award-winning actor's life hasn't always been smooth sailing.

Stanley, who is beloved for his writing as much as his on-screen personas, has spoken candidly about his health struggles in the past including his journey with oral cancer, a diagnosis which, he said, left him "stunned".

The actor was diagnosed back in 2018 and, thankfully, was treated successfully. Stanley has recalled the terrifying time in his life in previous interviews and his 2021 book, Taste: My Life Through Food.

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Stanley Tucci's health journey revealed

Writing in his food and family-themed memoir, the actor goes into detail about his diagnosis and treatment for oral cancer. The story began when the Citadel star started feeling pain in his jaw and after a dentist advised him to seek further medical investigation, he received a formal diagnosis. "I was stunned to the point of almost fainting," he wrote.

Stanley was told that surgery was not possible as it would involve removing a large part of his tongue that would damage his sense of smell and taste permanently – a tragedy for anyone but particularly, as he wrote, for someone whose entire love and zest for life was centred around food.

Fortunately, Stanley was told the tumour, located at the back of his tongue, had not metastasised, meaning that he could undergo targeted treatment instead of major surgery.

"The only viable option was thirty-five days of high-dose targeted radiation and seven sessions of low-dose chemotherapy. Luckily, because [the tumour had not] metastasized [the treatment had a] cure rate close to 90 per cent with an extremely low rate of recurrence. Those were very hard figures to argue with. So, in the end, I did go through with it because I had to."

Despite the overall positive outcome, Stanley, understandably, found it incredibly difficult. He wrote how receiving a cancer diagnosis was particularly triggering after his first wife Kate, had sadly passed away from the disease in 2009.

"Kate had died after a horrid four-year struggle with cancer and the thought of revisiting that world again was something I dreaded."

Stanley's reflection on his cancer journey

More recently, Stanley told the Canadian magazine Geist how his wife Felicity, who he married in 2012, was his support network and pushed him encouragingly through his procedures.

"I was so afraid. But Felicity was very insistent. I mean they had to drag me kicking and screaming, but I wouldn't be around [otherwise]."

In a candid interview with the Guardian published last week, Stanley again recalled his journey with the illness, which caused him to lose 35 pounds and the ability to taste for "months and months", explaining there are parts he doesn't remember.

"Felicity will talk about that time I collapsed on the floor and I have no recollection. All I remember is being so [expletive] miserable and so nauseous I couldn't lift my head off the pillow. Sometimes I'd think I was hungry. But the taste in your mouth was so horrible."

On how it changed him, he told the publication: "It made me tired. Like fundamentally tired. It aged me significantly."

He continued: "I was so weak. Walking up the stairs was a supreme effort. It was awful. Then, eventually, slowly, slowly, slowly you get better."

We're so pleased Stanley is in better health.