Chadwick Boseman may be the most notable Hollywood star to quietly battle a cancer diagnosis in recent memory, and the one year anniversary of his shocking passing was a reminder that not every struggle is made public for even the most famous people in America. And Saturday brought another example of that after actor Stanley Tucci revealed he had also battled cancer in private.
Tucci gave an interview to Vera Magazine that was made public on Saturday where the actor detailed being diagnosed with cancer in 2018 and his subsequent battle for his life. As Deadline detailed, Tucci spent time on a feeding tube along with radiation and other treatments.
In an interview with Vera magazine, Tucci said he was diagnosed three years ago with a tumor at the base of his tongue. The mass “was too big to operate,,” and could only be treated with “high-dose radiation and chemo.”
Tucci said that the treatment was especially harrowing because of the experience he had with his first wife, Kate Spath-Tucci, who had breast cancer a decade ago.
“I’d vowed I’d never do anything like that, because my first wife died of cancer, and to watch her go through those treatments for years was horrible,” Tucci said. Spath-Tucci died in 2009 at age 47.
Still, Tucci disclosed that he did go through a period that included putting him on a feeding tube for six months along with other treatments. And thankfully, he doesn’t expect the cancer to return. He also said the process gave him new perspective on his life.
“[Cancer] makes you more afraid and less afraid at the same time. I feel much older than I did before I was sick. But you still want to get ahead and get things done.”
The news is certainly a shock to fans who had no idea the actor was even sick. But it’s good that Tucci is feeling better, and got to tell the world about what was a harrowing experience on his own terms.
