Stanley Tucci Talks Tucci in Italy Season 2 In Our Exclusive Interview
by Explore Disney+ Contributor
May 14, 2026
The Devil Wears Prada star discusses the pastas, the places, and the surprises that shaped the second season of his Italian travel show
Great Italian cooking often starts with a story, and Tucci in Italy Season 2 takes you back to the terraces and trattorias of Italy, as regional dishes lead into local history, family memories, and traditions lovingly refined over generations. Here, Stanley Tucci explains how the show’s team decides which stories make the cut, what surprised him about revisiting Sicily and Sardinia, and how Italy still has more to reveal.
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Note: This article is adapted from an interview with Stanley Tucci.
Stanley Tucci On The Stories Behind Tucci in Italy Season 2
The show may seem easy and relaxing once it reaches the screen, but Tucci says the filming process begins long before anyone sits down for lunch. “We have a team of researchers,” he explained. “It takes close to a year to put everything together.”
Their deep research gives each episode its unique focus. Sometimes the ideas come straight from Tucci. A restaurant he’s been to, a story or person he knows, or something he’s read about. Other times, it begins with a local detail he wants to investigate further.
He describes how an idea might begin with “a bit about Florentine culture or a place in Milan,” and then the team explores it to see whether there is a larger story there. “I want to tell this story because of this [reason],” he said of the kinds of pitches he brings to the team.
The process sounds simple in his telling, though the finished episodes clearly take a lot of passion, creativity, and hard work.
“Usually it works out and we do it, but [each place] has its own stories,” Tucci said. “We cull stories from all over, go through them, and try to find the right balance.”
What Surprised Him About Italian Culture While Making Tucci in Italy Season 2
Even for someone who knows Italy as well as Tucci does, there is always more for him to learn about the niches and nuances of Italian culture. Season 2 brought him back to Sicily and Sardinia, two places with deliciously varied cuisines and beyond.
“The ancient traditions in Sardinia and the diversity of cultures and cultural influences on the island of Sicily are endlessly fascinating.”
Sardinia, in particular, seems to have stayed with him. The island’s culinary traditions can be older than the towns serving them up, while Sicily’s cuisine draws on layered cultural inspirations.
What Stanley Tucci Hopes You Take Away From Season 2 Of Tucci in Italy
Tucci’s hope for the season is simple. Pay attention to the version of Italy in front of you, not the idea of Italy you previously had.
“[I hope people] learn more about Italy and how diverse it is,” he said. He also hopes viewers “open their eyes to new regions, new traditions and where Italy sits today in the modern world.”
The show spends time with people who understand their home regions from the inside, whether they are cooking a family recipe or explaining the surprising history behind a meal. Tucci is the perfect guide, of course, but he also knows when to listen to the locals.
Where Tucci in Italy Might Go Next
When we asked Tucci what he’d still like to explore, his love for the country was evident in his response, “It’s all fascinating. There are so many more stories to tell.”
Still, a few places have his attention like Sardinia and the northern, mountainous region of the Dolomites. “I also like the north of Italy a lot, because of the topography,” he adds. As he continues explaining his reasons for why the north of Italy is calling, it seems like he’s already there in his mind and he takes us with him.
“[The north of Italy] doesn’t get so hot. I like skiing and I like the cuisine because it’s really varied,” Tucci said. “It has that Germanic, Austro-Hungarian influence and yet you still get all the benefits of the Italian kitchen.”
Fittingly, northern Italy is having a Tucci moment of its own with portions of The Devil Wears Prada 2 taking place in Milan and nearby Lake Como. See the movie now playing in theaters.
Learn More About Tucci in Italy Season 2
Still hungry? Learn more about Tucci in Italy Season 2 for the trailer, episode details, and the five regions Tucci visits: Naples and Campania, Sicily, Le Marche, Sardinia, and Veneto. You can also find more culinary inspiration in our guide to cooking shows to stream or the Cooking and Food collection on Disney+.
