Tucci off the beaten track for a taste of the real Italy

STAR STANLEY GOES BACK TO HIS ROOTS

- By David Stephenson

HE MAY be New York-born and made London his home, but Hollywood star Stanley Tucci now "feels more Italian" after presenting his popular food shows about the nation's cuisine.

The actor, who recently starred as an ambitious cardinal in the film Conclave, is back on the small screen with Tucci in Italy, which sees him returning to his parents' homeland for a fascinating culinary journey.

"I feel more Italian," he said. "I feel very comfortable going there now. It is almost like a second home in a strange way. I have been there so many times now that it has reconnected me and sort of ultra-connected me to my roots.

"Doing this show has made me more and more interested in food and in Italy and I'm very curious to see what direction [politically] Italy is taking.

"Today we know that it's very Right leaning, like a lot of what's happening in the world, so I'm just very curious to see where it ends up in the next decade."

The 64-year-old has reinvented himself as a globe-trotting foodie, picking up Primetime Emmy nominations for his travel series on CNN, and the BBC.