Stanley Tucci Reveals The Role He'd Never Play Again: 'It Was a Tough Experience'

"I would not play George Harvey again in 'The Lovely Bones,' which was horrible," the 62-year-old actor told Entertainment Tonight at the premiere of his new Prime Video series "Citadel."

"It's a wonderful movie, but it was a tough experience. Simply because of the role," he added.

Based on the 2002 novel by Alice Sebold, Tucci played a ruthless serial killer and rapist. His character George Harvey ultimately meets his demise when he falls off a steep hill while attempting to lure another child into his car.

When "The Lovely Bones" director Peter Jackson initially offered Tucci the role, he admitted he tried to get out of playing the part due to the sinister nature of the character.

"I asked 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," Tucci recalled. "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."

He continued, "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," he noted. "Then, you know, it's over. Like, the movie's over. You just have to play against it."

However, when it comes to the role he'd want to reprise on the big screen, Tucci would be more than happy to step back into Nigel in "The Devil Wears Prada."

"I would happily play Nigel in The Devil Wears Prada again. It was a really great experience," he smiled. "I would play Paul Child again, when we did Julie and Julia. Those are really wonderful roles to play."