THURSDAY THIRTEEN #170

THIRTEEN MEMORABLE PERFORMANCES 

BY STANLEY TUCCI

He's not a star, not a household name, but you know him. Currently he's appearing in cineplexes all over the world in The Hunger Games. I haven't seen it, but I know he's good in it. Because he's always good. He's just as credible playing a gay fashionista as he is a ruthless businessman and a womanizing mobster. I'm celebrating 13 of his more memorable performances:


1) The Hunger Games (2012). Caesar Flickerman, the host of the famous fictional games.

2) Burlesque (2010). He held his own as Cher's friend and confidante.


3) Julie and Julia (2009). He was lovely as Julia's loving husband, diplomat and artist Paul Child.


4) The Lovely Bones (2009). He earned an Oscar nomination for portraying one the very bad man.

5) Kit Kitteredge: An American Girl (2008). Mr. Berk, a down-on-his-luck magician who takes a room in the Kitteredge house during the Depression.


6) The Tale of Despereaux (2008). The voice of the soup-loving Boldo.

7) The Devil Wears Prada (2006). My favorite Tucci performance as Nigel, the loyal and royally screwed assistant of the evil Miranda.

8) Shall We Dance? (2004) He joins Richard Gere in Jennifer Lopez' dance class.

9) Who's that Girl? (1987) It amuses me that early in his movie career he was billed as "Dock Worker #2" in a forgettable Madonna movie

AND ON TV …

10) ER (2007). The head of the ER during a memorable blackout.

11) Monk (2006). He won an Emmy Award for his portrayal of a Hollywood star researching his greatest role -- Adrian Monk.

12) thirtysomething (1990). Karl Draconis, Michael's boss-from-hell.

13) Miami Vice (1988). Miami mobster Frank Mosca seems to be seducing one of Miami's finest female detectives.

For more information about the Thursday Thirteen,

or to play yourself, click here.

Six out of ten!

I don't mean to imply that with today's victory against the Braves that the Cubs are now on their way to World Series rings. On the other hand, the Boys in Cubbie Blue have now won 6 of their last 10, which is very respectable. And this makes me very happy! I truly believe that we have turned a corner, and that the 2012 season won't blow.

I'm singing, "Go, Cubs, go! Go, Cubs, go ..."

And in other Cubbie news, Mayor Rahm Emmanuel is really trying to get the City Council on board to help fund the renovation of the Friendly Confines. I don't live within the city limits, so my opinion doesn't mean (to borrow a phrase) "a hill of beans in this crazy world." Except that I love Wrigley Field easily as much as Rick loved Ilsa, so I hope that somehow this is all worked out for the betterment of the park.

I Want Wednesday

I want my best friend to get over himself already! He behaved badly (we all do at times) and I busted him for it (he deserved it), and yet somehow in his mind I'm the baddie. I'm not apologizing because I haven't done anything wrong. I did send him one last email on the matter, explaining that if I don't stick up for myself and my feelings, no one will, and that's that. On this subject. Knowing him, and knowing how loathe he is to admit when he's "wr..." (see clip below), I have also given him a trio of unrelated emails to respond to, so he can keep the lines of communication open and still save face.

My considered opinion

Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez have been doing a lot of TV to promote their new book. Emilio and I are the same age, which makes Martin (literally) old enough to be my dad. And yet he is, hands down, the sexier one. Throw Charlie in, and Dad still wins. (Am I alone in suspecting Charlie has some serious hygiene issues?)