Stanley Tucci reflects on 'miserable' cancer that took away taste

Stanley Tucci has opened up about his past health struggle with oral cancer in 2017, which left him ‘stunned’ and damaged his sense of smell and taste. 

The American-born actor, 63, has always held a soft spot in the hearts of Brits after marrying British wife Felicity Blunt.

He caused immense concern in 2021 after it was revealed he had secretly been battling oral cancer.

In a new interview, the film star and keen amateur chef has spoken about the lasting impact of his diagnosis and how Felicity, 40, was his biggest support network.

Recalling the terrifying time of his battle, he said Felicity probably remembers more of his battle than he does, as he not only lost his taste for ‘months and months’, but he also lost 35 pounds and has gaps in his memory. 

‘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,’ he told The Guardian. 

This isn’t the first time the actor has spoken in depth about his diagnosis; he also discussed the terrifying time in his book Taste: My Life Through Food. 

Explaining that he first sought medical attention after feeling pain in his jaw, the star was advised by his dentist to see a specialist and two years later, found a tumour at the base of his tongue, giving a formal diagnosis which left him ‘stunned to the point of almost fainting’. 

In his memoir, Stanley said his medical team told him surgery was not possible as it would ultimately result in him having to have a large part of his tongue removed, and would forever alter his sense of smell and taste. 

He wrote that this was a tough feat for anyone but even more so for someone who centred their life around food. 

‘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] metastasised [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,’ he wrote in his book. 

He elaborated in his interview with The Guardian that during his treatment, he would watch cooking shows while using a feeding tube and described it as a form of torture. 

While Stanley has made a full recovery, his experience with the disease was made all the worst as he lost his first wife, Kate, in 2009 after her ‘horrid’ four-year battle with breast cancer when she was just 47. 

‘The thought of revisiting that world again was something I dreaded,’ he said.

Stanley and Kate shared three children, twins Isabel and Nicolo, 24, and daughter Camilla, 21, and were married for 14 years.

Speaking to the news outlet, The Devil Wears Prada actor said the grief is ‘always there’. 

‘But if it were to stay as prominent in your life as it does at the beginning, you couldn’t function. You couldn’t take care of your kids. You couldn’t hold a job. You couldn’t do anything. So, whether we know it or not, we tell ourselves to let it go.’ 

He continued to say he found peace in moving on as the ‘person who died would not want you to be that way’ but joked that when he dies, he wants Felicity to be ‘incredibly unhappy’. 

Oral cancer signs and treatments:

• What is oral cancer?

Also known as mouth cancer, can see cancerous cells in the mouth, lips, gums, tongue and throat. 

• What are the signs and symptoms of oral cancer?

According to NHS, symptoms can include:

• a mouth ulcer in your mouth that lasts more than 3 weeks
• a red or white patch inside your mouth
• a lump inside your mouth or on your lip
• pain inside your mouth
• difficulty swallowing
• difficulty speaking or a hoarse (croaky) voice
• a lump in your neck or throat
• losing weight without trying

• What is the treatment for oral cancer?

Surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted medicines, and immunotherapy are most common. However, treatment for mouth cancer differs depending on the type, size, where it is and if it has spread to other parts of your body. 

Specialists also take into consideration your age, general health and the benefits and side effects of the treatment.