The American University of Rome (AUR) is pleased to announce the conferral of an honorary doctorate degree on Stanley Tucci, the Italian-American actor, writer, and film producer, known for his roles in The Devil Wears Prada, The Lovely Bones, The Hunger Games, and Supernova among many others. 

Video-linked from his home in London on Friday, May 21 and wearing the traditional graduation cap, gown and doctoral hood, Tucci spoke to a global audience of students and parents of his childhood in Florence and his unconditional love of Italy and all things Italian. 

“Traveling to a country with a history as complex as Italy’s should perhaps be a requirement for students, no matter what subject they have chosen to study”, Tucci stated, “I am so excited that you have all had the opportunity to be educated at this esteemed institution in that astonishingly beautiful and influential country.” 

In his laudation address, President of The American University of Rome, Dr. Scott Sprenger, spoke of Tucci’s role as a global ambassador for Italian life and culture, both through the recent CNN hit TV show, Stanley Tucci: Discovering Italy, which Tucci described as a ‘love letter to the place where my family is from’, but also through his books, films and stage work. “This obvious passion for the history and culture of Italian cuisine, the art of cooking, and rituals of the table, reaches deep into your childhood and Italian family roots, and is a thread that runs through your life’s work” Sprenger declared as he presented Tucci with his honorary doctorate. 

Tucci will be returning to Italy later in 2021 to film part 2 of ‘Stanley Tucci: Discovering Italy.”  As an alumnus of The American University of Rome, the university community looks forward to welcoming Dr. Tucci to the Eternal City and to the AUR campus once it’s safe to travel again.