With the movie about to hit DVD, Stanley Tucci talks about playing Frank Nitti in "Road to Perdition".
Did you draw any inspiration for your "Road to Perdition" character, Frank Nitti, from the graphic novel?
No I didn't see the graphic novel. I read a little about Nitti. They had sent me some stuff, I did some research and I knew a bit about him before, but there's not a tremendous amount about him. He was a real businessman; he wasn't a psycho killer as he's been portrayed in other films.
How do you compress your performance so that your scenes look like a snapshot of a much bigger story for that character?
First of all, it starts with the script. If the script is good, that aspect should be in there. I hope you feel the character's presence throughout the film. Also, you have to bring a lot of different levels to the performance, but maybe a little more so with "Road to Perdition" because I had such a small period of time to get the character across.
You've directed a few films yourself, so what's it like having Sam Mendes in the director's chair?
Sam was wonderful, actually one of the best directors I've ever worked with. He's kind, funny, very smart, and he knows exactly what he wants.
What's Paul Newman's acting method like? Can he snap in and out of character, or does he stay in the role?
He was very focused, but he could go back and forth too.
Do you think Mendes was nervous dealing with Newman at all?
Sam would talk to every actor the same way, no matter who they were.
Nearly every scene of the film is a woman-free zone. Did this make the shoot a little strange at all?
It's always more fun when there are women about! For me, though, it was a week of shooting so it didn't have a great effect by any means.
Is directing something you enjoy?
I love it very much. I haven't done any more since "Joe Gould's Secret" [2000]. There have been a few things I thought I wanted to do since, but haven't yet happened.
The "Road to Perdition" DVD is out to buy from Monday 17th March 2003.
