Actor Stanley Tucci is shedding light on a difficult and often-overlooked side effect of his past cancer treatment—extreme exhaustion caused by damage to his thyroid.
At 64, Tucci remains a beloved figure in Hollywood, known for his roles in The Devil Wears Prada, The Hunger Games, and the Emmy-winning travel and food series Searching for Italy. But behind the scenes, the actor continues to deal with the long-term consequences of his 2017 battle with throat cancer.
Tucci was first diagnosed with throat cancer seven years ago when doctors discovered a tumor at the base of his tongue. He underwent an aggressive treatment plan that included chemotherapy and radiation, ultimately leading to his remission. However, even though he successfully fought off the disease, the impact of his treatment has lingered in ways he didn’t expect.
On the March 18 episode of David Tennant Does a Podcast With…, Tucci opened up about a significant shift in his health that became apparent last year while filming Searching for Italy. The show, which follows Tucci as he explores Italian cuisine and culture, was physically demanding, requiring long days of travel and filming.
“I would be so tired in the afternoon, like completely exhausted by one o’clock,” Tucci recalled. “I was like, ‘Something’s wrong with me.’ Finally, I had a blood test and I was like, ‘I know something’s f—ing wrong with me.’ And my thyroid was non-functioning.”
Initially, Tucci assumed his exhaustion was due to stress or aging. However, his doctors discovered that his thyroid had been permanently damaged by the radiation therapy he received years earlier.
“What happened was because I had radiation six, seven years ago, it burned out my thyroid,” he explained.
His oncologist in New York confirmed that this was a known—though sometimes delayed—side effect of radiation therapy. Tucci admitted that while the explanation was frustrating, it was also somewhat of a relief to know that it wasn’t a new and frightening diagnosis.
Now, Tucci has to take a synthetic thyroid hormone pill to regulate his body’s functions, and he undergoes routine blood tests to ensure he’s receiving the correct dosage. While the medication has helped, his energy levels have not fully returned to where they once were.
“I still get tired in the afternoon,” he admitted. “Literally, you can’t think, you can’t move … and once I started taking the pill, it made a huge difference.”
But even with treatment, the exhaustion lingers. “I want to get back to where I was,” he continued. “It is normal, and especially now I’ve just turned 64. I mean, there are times when I don’t want to do f—ing anything.”
Tucci first revealed his cancer diagnosis publicly in 2021 in his memoir, Taste: My Life Through Food. In it, he described the harrowing experience of undergoing high-dose radiation and chemotherapy, which left him physically and emotionally drained.
In an interview, he described how the treatments affected him beyond just fatigue. He developed vertigo, painful ulcers in his mouth, and lost the ability to taste food—a particularly devastating side effect for someone with a lifelong passion for cuisine.
“Anything I ate tasted like cardboard slathered with someone’s excrement,” he bluntly stated. His love for food and cooking had always been central to his life, and at times, he feared he would never enjoy eating again. In fact, he admitted that losing his sense of taste frightened him even more than the possibility of dying.
“I mean, if you can’t eat and enjoy food, how are you going to enjoy everything else?” he said.
Finding Strength in Family and Career
Despite the challenges, Tucci has remained active in both his career and personal life. He has continued acting, writing, and hosting, all while balancing the demands of his health. He credits much of his resilience to his wife, Felicity Blunt, and their children, who supported him throughout his illness and recovery.
Though he still experiences the effects of his treatment, Tucci remains optimistic about the future. His passion for food, storytelling, and travel continues to drive him, even as he adjusts to a “new normal” with his health.
His journey is a reminder of the long-term battles cancer survivors often face—even after remission. While treatment saves lives, it can also bring lasting health complications, something Tucci knows all too well.
Still, his determination to push forward remains unwavering. “I just want to feel like myself again,” he said. And if there’s one thing Stanley Tucci has proven, it’s that he has the strength and resilience to keep going—one step, one meal, and one day at a time.
News Source: People
Sana A. is a medical student, writer, and journalist with a strong passion for healthcare reporting and a deep commitment to covering current events across the United States. As a contributor to Los Angeles Headlines, she focuses specifically on medical news, health policy, and emerging trends in the healthcare industry.
