Stanley Tucci Confirms What We Suspected About Anthony Bourdain

In 2021, Stanley Tucci added to his impressive résumé by becoming the host of the travel show "Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy" on CNN. Although he's best known as a formidable character actor on the silver screen, he released two cookbooks before landing his role as an on-screen travel host. After all, dining experiences have long been an integral part of his life. "Food was the connective tissue that held the family together," he told the Los Angeles Times in February 2021. "I have experienced my life, in a lot of ways, through my mouth."

The "Spotlight" actor might have lacked the bonafides of chefs who have hosted food-based shows, but he has a passion for cuisine. "I suppose it is a kind of religion for me. I'm not a religious person, but if there is one thing that's holy, it would be food," he said on NPR's "Fresh Air" in November 2021. Tucci had been approached by CNN about possibly collaborating, and luckily "Searching for Italy" was an idea he had contemplated for years, according to People. The network soon bought the concept and flew Tucci to Europe.

Following the immense success of Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations," CNN had long been searching to fill his shoes. "There was never a question in our minds about whether we would return [to the genre]," CNN's VP Talent and Content Development Amy Entelis told The Hollywood Reporter in February 2021. Before following in his footsteps, Tucci had a chance to get to know Bourdain.

Comparisons between Stanley Tucci and Anthony Bourdain were inevitable, but "The Devil Wears Prada" actor has been known to gush over the deceased television icon himself. "He was an amazing guy ... knew him a little bit," Tucci told People in February. "He was hyper-intelligent and also hyper-cool, too," he added. But Tucci realized he's likely outmatched by his predecessor. "I don't know if I have either of those things!" the actor added. The "Searching for Italy" host considers Bourdain to be in a different category entirely. "I would never try to take his place. He made us all a lot happier."

In Tucci's eyes, the greatest difference between him and Bourdain is that the "Kitchen Confidential" author was far more intrepid. "I am not nearly as adventurous as Tony was, not nearly. Or as brave," Tucci admitted to The Hollywood Reporter in February 2021, while also describing Bourdain as "an incredible mind, a real raconteur." The "Margin Call" star credited Bourdain with forging a path for future travel hosts. Tucci went as far as to describe Bourdain as "a hero" of his.

The actor's praise for Bourdain has been echoed by people who were far closer to the travel host. "Anthony was my best friend. An exceptional human being, so inspiring & generous," fellow celebrity chef Eric Ripert tweeted after his death in 2018. "Everyone who had ever read, watched or met Anthony Bourdain was getting the real him," chef Michael White, who appeared on "No Reservations," told Page Six after Bourdain's passing.