Many of us know Stanley Tucci as the kind-hearted fashion director Nigel, who took pity on Anne Hathway's seriously unfashionable character in The Devil Wears Prada, among countless other films.
However, the 62-year-old New Yorker almost turned down one of his most memorable roles, given that he wasn't so keen on it in the first place. That role was as a creepy neighbor in The Lovely Bones, opposite Irish actress Saoirse Ronan.
Released in 2009, the thriller drama was based upon Alice Sebold's book of the same name and follows the distressing story of Susie Salmon (Ronan), a 14-year-old girl who is murdered by Tucci's character George Harvey.
In the movie, the Salmon family suspects George, but the case was dismissed by authorities due to a lack of evidence.
Susie watches from heaven as her friends, father (played by Mark Wahlberg), and younger sister continue to search for her. She tries to help her family solve the case of her murder, with her sister even breaking into George's house and discovering an underground cellar - which viewers eventually learn is the location of Susie's murder. Without giving too many spoilers, George flees town and life moves on.
Tucci admitted he was initially hesitant about playing the role of George, telling Entertainment Tonight: "I would not play George Harvey again in The Lovely Bones, that was horrible.
"It's a wonderful movie but it was a tough experience. Simply because of the role."
He revealed that he even attempted to get out of playing the character, but really needed the work. "I asked [director] Peter Jackson why he cast me in that role. I tried to get out of playing the role, which is crazy because I needed a job.
"But I was like, 'Why do you want me?' And he said, 'Because you're funny.' And I thought, 'OK.' But I understand what he was saying," Tucci said.
"I think what he meant was that I wouldn't be too - not that I wouldn't be serious about it, but that I wouldn't be overly dramatic about it. That I would throw it away a bit. Which is what you have to do when you're playing somebody who's that awful, right? You can't play into it. Then, you know, it's over. Like, the movie's over. You just have to play against it," he added.
The gamble paid off for Tucci, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars for his portrayal of George.
As for the roles he'd most definitely play again, however, Tucci said that he would be more than happy to play Runway Magazine's best employee, Nigel, again.
"I would happily play Nigel in The Devil Wears Prada again. It was a really great experience. I would play Paul Child again, when we did Julie and Julia. Those are really wonderful roles to play," he said.
