Stanley Tucci tried to 'get out' of 'horrible' role in one movie

Devil Wears Prada, The Hunger Games, and Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody are just a few of Stanley Tucci's iconic films he has starred in. 

He has an impressive career in the film industry spanning over four decades, after landing a breakthrough role in TV series Murder One, in which he played Richard Cross, a role that saw him receive his first Primetime Emmy Award. 

However, there is one film Stanley has revealed he wasn't keen on playing.  Any guesses? 

The Lovely Bones. 

The thriller drama was released in 2009, just a few years after the book of the same name was released by author Alice Sebold. 

The plot follows the harrowing and powerful story of a teenage girl, Susie Salmon, who is murdered by neighbour George Harvey. 

Though George is suspected by Susie's family, the case gets dismissed as evidence was not found by the professionals. 

Susie watches from heaven, and some of her friends, in particular Ruth Connors, and Ray Singh, can detect her presence and continue the search for Susie, alongside Susie's sister Lindsey and dad Jack. 

The young teen tries to help her family solve the case. Susie's sister even breaks into George's house and finds evidence of an underground cellar, which is the scene of the crime. 

But George flees his hometown, and frustratingly gets off scot-free. Though Lindsay and Jack have a strong inclination George is Susie's murderer, he later dies in the most bizarre way - we don't want to give too many spoilers. 

Life sadly moves on for everyone, but Susie connects with George's other victims along the way, and enters a new phase of her afterlife. 

In the film adaptation of the book Stanley portrays George, which he was sceptical about at first. 

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, the 62-year-old actor said: “I would not play George Harvey again in The Lovely Bones, that was horrible. 

“It’s a wonderful movie but it was a tough experience. Simply because of the role."

Stanley even tried to opt out of playing the character, but he needed to work. 

He continued: "I asked [director] Peter Jackson why he cast me in that role. I tried to get out of playing the role, which is crazy because I needed a job. 

"But I was like, ‘Why do you want me?’ And he said, ‘Because you’re funny.’ And I thought, ‘OK.’ 

"But I understand what he was saying.

“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?

“You can’t play into it. Then, you know, it’s over. Like, the movie’s over. You just have to play against it.”

Stanley was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars for his portrayal of the villainous character in the film, which also features Saoirse Ronan, Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz and Susan Sarandon.