Tucci went through unimaginable pain and discomfort in his jaw for two years before he was diagnosed with cancer at the base of his tongue.
Stanley Tucci can't thank his wife Felicity Blunt enough for helping him get through some of his darkest days. Tucci—who was diagnosed with cancer in 2017—says that he counts himself "incredibly lucky" to be alive today.
The Oscar nominee was diagnosed with cancer at the base of his tongue, according to PEOPLE. He went through a 35-day radiation treatment plus seven sessions of chemotherapy, which ruined his senses of taste and smell and left him unable to eat, dependent on a feeding tube.
Now, the 61-year-old actor is cancer-free and lives in London with his wife of 10 years, Felicity, while enjoying his passion for cuisine on his CNN food and travel series Searching for Italy, which will soon be back for a season 2 this spring.
But for two years, Tucci went through unimaginable pain and discomfort in his jaw before he was diagnosed with cancer. "I had a scan, but the scan missed it. And of course, when you think that there might be something wrong, you're also afraid that there is something wrong," recalls Tucci, who lost his first wife Kate to breast cancer in 2009.
After seeing different doctors, The Devil Wears Prada actor was finally diagnosed as having a 3-centimeter tumor at the base of his tongue: "They couldn't do surgery because the tumor was so big. It's a miracle that it didn't metastasize. It had been in me so long."
Thankfully, just a few months after his treatment ended, Tucci was able to slowly regain his strength and ability to eat, which was "just the most exciting thing in the world" to him at the time, he says.
Tucci—who shares daughter Emilia, 3, and son Matteo, 7, with Felicity, said that "Felicity's undying attention, affection and encouragement got me through it."
Sure, there are some side effects from the treatment still; some foods still taste "weird" and spicy dishes are inedibly painful, but Tucci is back to living his foodie lifestyle to the fullest, enjoying his longtime passion for cooking and drink-making with friends and family. As he puts it, "I couldn't be with someone who didn't care about food. I just wouldn't be attracted to them."
As for how he spends his free time these days, Tucci says, "A perfect day off for me would be going to the farmer's market, buy a bunch of food, start cooking, play with the kids. And then have people over for dinner. To me, that's just a great day."
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Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto
