Stanley Tucci Wants to Do What Now?!?!

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Stanley Tucci is on the cover of the May issue of Town & Counryt to promote his latest film — a little low budget indie you may have heard of called The Devil Wears Prada 2. In the film, Tucci reprises his role as the iconic Nigel Kipling, right hand to Meryl Streeps’ Miranda Priestly.

In the accompanying interview, Tucci talks about everything from who was offered the role of Nigel before him to his aspirations to enter the fashion industry.

On returning to the role of Nigel Kipling in The Devil Wears Prada 2, and what’s changed since:

He thinks the script is a “great commentary on the state of where we are now,” and he loves playing Nigel, who he has said is the character in his oeuvre most like himself. “I always think that acting is like you’re taking bits and pieces of your personality and you’re heightening them,” he says. “So you’re taking the part of me that loves fashion and is a bit of a peacock, the quippy parts, and amping it up a bit. Then you just make sure it remains real and true and that it always has a center, that it has a core, that it has a heart. Other­wise it’s just a pastiche.”

On landing Nigel in The Devil Wears Prada:

Tucci likes to say he landed his role “after they tried to cast, literally, every other actor in Christen­dom,” including John Leguizamo, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy’s Carson Kressley, and ostensibly someone British, because the character is called Nigel. “I did realize this time around, Oh, he’s more British than American, isn’t he?” Tucci says.

On aging in Hollywood:

“I’m definitely entering a new phase,” he says. “As I get older, as everybody gets older, you’re bored more easily. And making movies is very repetitive. Now, when I’m on a movie set, I realize that by three o’clock in the afternoon I’m like, ‘Okay, we’ve got to get out of here because there’s this place for dinner that I like,’ or ‘I’m going to invite so-and-so from the cast over.’ I have become slightly more impatient. You’re like, ‘Okay, I did that. Now what?’”

On getting older in general:

“I’m entering the winter of my years. There’s no question about it, but you can’t stop it. You can only try to make yourself enjoy it—and look as good as you can while it’s happening.” He laughs. “I mean, otherwise it’s f**king hopeless.”

On what’s next:

“I want to do so much,” he says. “I want to direct another play, I want to cook more, I’m interested in clothing design. And I’m really interested in devoting a significant amount of time to painting and sculpting.”

That’s right, Stanley Tucci is interested in becoming a fashion designer. Talk about life imitating art!

The May issue of Town & Country hits newsstands May 5.