The Lovely Bones: Stanley Tucci tried to talk his way out of playing serial killer

Last Updated on April 28, 2023

It’s been over a decade since I watched Peter Jackson‘s The Lovely Bones and I don’t remember a heck of a lot about it… but what I do remember is the deeply unnerving performance of Stanley Tucci as serial killer George Harvey.

Based on Alice Sebold’s 2002 novel of the same name, The Lovely Bones starred Saoirse Ronan as Susie Salmon, a young girl who is murdered by a serial killer and watches over her family from the “In-Between” as they deal with her death. As great as Stanley Tucci’s performance was, it was a role he tried to get out of playing. “I tried to get out of playing the role, which is crazy because I needed a job,” Tucci explained while speaking with Entertainment Tonight. “But I was like, ‘Why do you want me?’ And [Peter Jackson] said, ‘Because you’re funny.’ And I thought, ‘OK.’ But I understand what he was saying.” Tucci continued, “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?“

“I would not play George Harvey again in The Lovely Bones, that was horrible,” Stanley Tucci said. “It’s a wonderful movie, but it was a tough experience simply because of the role.” I may just have to watch The Lovely Bones again.

Stanley Tucci will next be seen starring alongside Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas in Prime Video’s pricey spy series Citadel. “Eight years ago, Citadel fell. The independent global spy agency—tasked to uphold the safety and security of all people—was destroyed by operatives of Manticore, a powerful syndicate manipulating the world from the shadows,” reads the official synopsis. “With Citadel’s fall, elite agents Mason Kane (Richard Madden) and Nadia Sinh (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) had their memories wiped as they narrowly escaped with their lives. They’ve remained hidden ever since, building new lives under new identities, unaware of their pasts. Until one night, when Mason is tracked down by his former Citadel colleague, Bernard Orlick (Stanley Tucci), who desperately needs his help to prevent Manticore from establishing a new world order. Mason seeks out his former partner, Nadia, and the two spies embark on a mission that takes them around the world in an effort to stop Manticore, all while contending with a relationship built on secrets, lies, and a dangerous-yet-undying love.”

Citadel premieres on Prime Video on April 28th with the first two episodes, with weekly episodes to follow until the finale on May 26th.