Stanley Tucci is heading back to Italy.
The award-winning actor and filmmaker returns to the country of his heritage in “Tucci in Italy”, a new National Geographic docu-series premiering May 18, which promises to go far beyond the plate.
Nearly three years after CNN canceled the acclaimed “Searching for Italy”, Tucci resumes his culinary journey across the Italian Peninsula with a broader lens and a more cinematic approach. Shot over six months between January and July 2024, the new series uses cutting-edge technology — including drone footage — to offer viewers sweeping visuals and a deeply immersive experience.
Each episode focuses on a different region, from Tuscany and Trentino-Alto Adige to Lombardy, Abruzzo and Lazio. Alongside showcasing local food and wine traditions, Tucci explores the human stories that sustain them — artisans, farmers, restaurateurs, migrants, and activists — creating a narrative that intertwines history, identity, and resilience.
“Food is a way in,” Tucci says in the series. Whether tasting lampredotto in Florence or preparing gulasch in the northern Alps, each dish opens a door to broader social and cultural conversations.
In Lombardy, for instance, Tucci meets a gay couple who navigated bureaucratic and societal hurdles in their fight to adopt. In other regions, he explores the contributions of migrant communities — from Sikh workers in the dairy industry to Ethiopian immigrants who have faced racism but left a mark on local culture.
Italy, for Tucci, is not just a place. It’s personal. Born into an Italian-American family, he’s long described his relationship with the country as a return to his roots. That sense of belonging permeates every frame — whether he’s in the kitchen with a Michelin-starred chef or sharing a quiet moment with a fisherman on the coast.
Executive producer Lottie Birmingham said the goal was to move beyond tourist landmarks and Michelin guides, highlighting places often overlooked. “We wanted to shift the narrative,” she explains, “and show Italy not just as a destination but as a living, breathing mosaic of cultures.”
“Tucci in Italy” debuts May 18 on National Geographic and will be available for streaming globally shortly after.
