The Best Stanley Tucci Movies & TV Shows, Ranked

Ambitious and just a tad bit clunky, The Devil Wears Prada 2 is a pitch-perfect return for one of cinema’s most fashion-forward films with a reminder that actors like Stanley Tucci bring a lot to their performances. The sequel to The Devil Wears Prada has a lot on its mind, with plenty of well-performed, well-acted, and well-shot scenes across the world that delve into aging, the state of journalism, and how it all dominoes into the lives of the people around us. 

The film suffers a bit in the execution, but the top-tier cast of Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci bring enough cutting jokes and subtle charm to the film to ground it emotionally. The film is especially kind to Tucci, who finds perfect little moments of vulnerability with his return to Nigel. Not as tight as the previous film and inherently treading well-explored water due to its status as a sequel, The Devil Wears Prada 2 is still a very solid sequel, thanks to the cast and crew who are clearly having a blast.

There have been plenty of Shakespeare adaptations over the years—and even films about the life of the Bard himself, with Hamnet (2025) winning an Oscar for it—but one of the most fun is A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Directed by Michael Hoffman, the film sets the play in the late 19th century and brings together a stacked cast for a playful take on the story of the fairy King and Queen, Oberon and Titania. 

Tucci appears as the impish Puck, whose intervention into the lives of local young lovers quickly spirals into comical mishaps in the woods that involve shapeshifting, accidental romance, and a bad theatrical production. While the film is gorgeous visually, the performances are a tad mixed-matched—although Tucci’s Puck nails the character’s quietly darker side with ease. There’s a lack of overall depth to the film that doesn’t detract from the playful heights, even if those stumbles keep it pretty low on the list.

A terrific take on the coming-of-age high school archetypes, Easy A is a surprisingly modern reimagining of The Scarlet Letter. The film was one of Emma Stone’s biggest breakout performances, with the actress playing a high schooler whose fictional sexual escapades quickly spiral out of control and change how she’s perceived across the school. 

Tucci plays Olive’s supportive father, a soft and understanding side character who brings a lot of sweet levity to the film when it’s needed. While the film does suffer from the occasional attempt to ape the distinctive style of Juno (2007) and has some elements that have dated it, Easy A is a great pick for anyone looking for a clever take on the teen movie that doesn’t talk down to its audience.

The showiest of Stanley Tucci’s roles and a performance that requires broadly over-the-top and quietly cutting comic timing, The Hunger Games is one of the biggest showcases Stanley Tucci has ever gotten and benefits from the cast’s commitment to the dark YA adaptation. The inaugural film in the The Hunger Games franchise, the first film is arguably the best example of Tucci’s performance as the death tournament’s MC, who has to thread the needle between the media parody he’s embodying and the darker thematic subject matter the grim series is exploring. 

The casting for the series has always been one of its greatest weapons, with Tucci giving just as good as co-stars like Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, and especially Elizabeth Banks opposite him as the other host of the event. At this point in the list, films are only suffering in comparison to one another. There’s nothing necessarily bad about The Hunger Games, but the admittedly intense action and unexpectedly campy turns can’t hold up to the more inventive and emotionally effective films on this list. Among the best of the surge of YA adaptations that sprang out of the success of the Harry Potter franchise, The Hunger Games is a great blockbuster action movie whose stars (including Tucci) have done better in more complex films, which is why it comes in just below the halfway point of a pretty top-heavy list.

One of the most experimental films in Tucci’s filmography, Peter Jackson's heartbreaking adaptation of The Lonely Bones is one of the most haunting performances that Stanley Tucci has ever given. The film follows a teenage girl whose spirit lingers after she is murdered. Tucci is quietly horrifying as her killer, George Harvey, an unassuming neighbor who proves himself to be an unsettling (and largely unseen) predator. 

Tucci is terrific in a role that subverts his typical talents in some key ways, with Saoirse Ronan doing equally compelling work opposite him as the target of Harvey's murderous tendencies. While the fantastical elements can push the believability in the third act, and a purely heartbreaking focus of the plot can make it a harder watch to get through than some of the other movies on this list, The Lovely Bones is a terrific tragedy that uses Jackson’s talents as a filmmaker to their full advantage.

Spotlight also has a harrowing real-life weightiness that can make it a hard watch, but the terrific performances make a great journalistic thriller out of the Boston Globe’s investigation into the sexual abuse scandal at the heart of Boston Catholic Churches. Spotlight is painfully grounded and does its best not to lionize or demonize anyone in a similar way to All the President’s Men (1976), instead taking deliberate time to showcase the ways even good people can look the other way and the system can beat down moral stances, as well as what it takes to snap people back to reality. 

Tucci is a key supporting character as a lawyer working against the Church, who becomes a major source of information for the reporters, his dry delivery just barely betraying the conviction behind the performance. Tucci is just as good as everyone else in this movie, but the heights of Tucci’s career push the actor further in terms of pure flexibility—which is why this Oscar-winning movie is only coming in at the middle of the list. 

Romantic and wistful in equal measure, Julie & Julia is a cute story that fully takes advantage of the easy chemistry between Tucci and Meryl Streep. The pair star as Julia and Paul Childs, the former of whom went on to become a world-famous chef.

The film splits its focus between their story and the relationship struggles of a married couple in a post-9/11 New York City, depicting the highs and lows of long-term relationships against the backdrop of a woman finding value in taking charge through cooking. A cute film that knows how to balance the sweet with the bitter, Julie & Julia benefits from strong performances at the heart of it (although the Childs story is more compelling, and the film can’t quite find the balance for that dynamic to really reach greatness).

One of Stanley Tucci’s most memorable performances, Nigel is the secret weapon that makes The Devil Wears Prada so memorable. The clever character drama follows a reporter as she takes on a job as a prestigious fashion magazine, quickly adapting to the cutthroat world of fashion. Tucci is perfectly cast alongside Meryl Streep as Miranda’s right-hand Nigel, a catty (but empathetic) figure at the magazine with far more depth than he initially appears to have. 

Tucci is a delight in the role, sly remarks and heartbreaking turns elevating a potentially one-note trope of a character into one of the highlights of the film. The only movies Tucci stars in that are better are the genuine classics, with better character focus and showcase for his talents. The subject matter also makes it a little harder for broader audiences to get into it at the same level—but the level of craft and charm on display makes it a blast even for those with little knowledge about fine fashion.

The film that put Stanley Tucci on the map, Big Night, is also still one of his best movies. The film is a two-hander between Tucci and Tony Shalhoub, with Tucci even co-directing the film with Campbell Scott. Following a pair of Italian immigrant brothers in the ‘50s who are trying to open their own restaurant, Big Night's tight dialogue and terrific performances sing. 

The movie is perfect for anyone who likes Chef (2014) or The Bear (2022), with an artsy touch that elevates the grounded character back and forth between a perfectly cast Shalhoub and Tucci. The film is great, and is only in the number two place because its competition is one of the best films of the last decade—but make no mistake, if you like a good character drama, Big Night is a must-watch.

Conclave is one of the most ambitious dramas of the 21st century, benefiting from a pitch-perfect performance by the entire cast, including Stanley Tucci. The film, focusing on the election of the new Pope, sees Tucci as a Cardinal with progressive goals in mind and a willingness to play political games to ensure it happens. The writing rightfully earned an Academy Award, but the direction and performances are what make the fiery dialogue so effective. 

It’s a top-tier performance that plays into a complex tapestry of motivations and flawed humanity. It’s a terrific ensemble across the board, especially a never-better Ralph Fiennes, and Tucci has also never been better at harnessing his dry humor, resilient humanity, and surprising layers. This is the best movie starring Stanley Tucci, and a must-see for any drama fan.