![\"Stanley](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/stanley-tucci-in-masterplan-GJEMPRIGRZHGHCVBW5VB6BWDAU.jpg\")
<\/p>\nStanley Tucci\u2019s latest film takes him on a mission to steal the Mona Lisa. But there\u2019s another destination he would happily revisit: New Zealand.<\/p>\n
Speaking exclusively to 1News ahead of the release of Masterplan, the actor and food show host also recalled his time here making The Lovely Bones.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe stayed in Wellington, but we were able to take a little trip down to the South Island, and I absolutely loved it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I would love, love, love to go back again. I loved it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reminded of the country\u2019s food and wine, Tucci was quick to agree.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know, and even better now than it was 20 years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
For now, audiences can find him plotting a rather different trip in Masterplan, a heist comedy about a thief who recruits two strangers to steal the world\u2019s most famous painting – before revealing they are his children.<\/p>\n
Actor talks about filming here, his new heist comedy Masterplan and why getting into character starts with the clothes. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n
It is an unlikely family reunion, and the premise was part of the attraction.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, it was so absurd that I had to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
For an actor whose characters range from the deeply disturbing to the warmly familiar, the chance to try something different still appeals.<\/p>\n
Tucci said the fun of Masterplan was a major reason for taking the role.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d never done a heist movie, as far as I can remember,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
His character was another draw: \u201cA real sort of charlatan. I love that.\u201d<\/p>\n
The production also brought him to two cities he loves, Rome and Paris. For the London-based actor, filming in the French capital had a practical advantage: he could catch the train home between stretches of work.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen you go back to work, take the train in, wake up the next morning, and you\u2019re filming in Paris. It was great.\u201d<\/p>\n
Getting the clothes right<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Stanley Tucci in Masterplan. <\/p>\n
However playful the film, Tucci takes the details of his characters seriously \u2014 particularly what they wear.<\/p>\n
\u201cCostume, wardrobe is super, super important,\u201d he said. \u201cSo I\u2019m quite fussy about that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked where that came from, his answer was characteristically direct.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t know. It just has to be right. Has to look right. Has to be truthful to the character.\u201d<\/p>\n
Whether the role involves drama or comedy, he said, clothing tells a story alongside the performance.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has to be absolutely right because that tells as much of a story as your words and actions do.\u201d<\/p>\n
The dialogue, however, can be more flexible.<\/p>\n
Tucci enjoys improvising, and said some of that made it into Masterplan.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re working with people who enjoy that, it\u2019s really fun,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you work with people who aren\u2019t enjoying that or who can\u2019t do it? It\u2019s not fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Stanley](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/stanley-tucci-speaks-to-aziz-al-saafin-4AEZ4TY6UNHNHHD4DJ4COGKNKU.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Stanley Tucci speaks to Aziz al Sa’afin. <\/p>\n
Away from acting, Tucci has taken audiences through Italy\u2019s kitchens, markets and dining tables in his food and travel programmes.<\/p>\n
Now, he said, he is filming in the UK.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m doing the UK now. So we\u2019ve shot five episodes so far. I have one more to shoot this year and two to shoot next year.\u201d<\/p>\n
A return to New Zealand remains a wish rather than an announced plan. But judging by his repeated \u201clove\u201d for the country, it would not take much persuading.<\/p>\n
Masterplan launches on Prime Video on October 16.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Stanley Tucci\u2019s latest film takes him on a mission to steal the Mona Lisa. But there\u2019s another destination…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":632666,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[2567,409,111,43,139,69],"class_list":["post-632665","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-zealand","tag-arts-and-culture","tag-movies","tag-new-zealand","tag-news","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/632665","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=632665"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/632665\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/632666"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=632665"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=632665"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=632665"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}