Actor Nicholas Tucci, who appeared in 2011’s You’re Next, has died at the age of 38 after privately battling cancer. After the news broke on March 6, his family, friends and former colleagues took to social media to pay tribute to him and the impact he made on their lives.
Nicholas Tucci passed away on March 3 in New Haven, Connecticut, where he resided. On the actor’s Facebook page, his father shared the sad news, which likely came as a surprise. He said that it had been his choice to keep his illness private so that he could continue working for as long as possible. He thanked those in his inner circle for supporting his son:
Born in Middleton, Connecticut in 1981, Nicholas Tucci was a graduate of Yale University where he received a bachelor’s degree in Theater. Between 2006 and 2020, he appeared in dozens of films and television series, including a featured role as Jason in the fourth season of Syfy’s Channel Zero. His film credits included Most Beautiful Island, Undocumented, and Long Lost. His television credits include The Blacklist, Pose, Daredevil and Person of Interest. But he is best known for playing the role of Felix in You’re Next, Adam Wingard’s cult black comedy horror film about a family reunion that devolves into a murderous game.
Adam Wingard paid tribute to Nicholas Tucci, recalling how everyone loved him on the You're Next set:
Nicholas Tucci's You’re Next and Channel Zero costar Barbara Crampton was one of many collaborators to pay respects on social media. She shared photos of the actor and highlighted some of the performances he’d given during his career:
Chris Peckover, who directed Nicholas Tucci in the 2010 film Undocumented, took to Twitter to sing his praises. He shared a story from the set of the film in which Tucci took an important scene in a completely unexpected direction and blew everyone away:
His story prompted others who’d worked with him to share their own memories of his talent to chime in. Catherine Corcoran, who appeared in the 2018 film Long Lost with Nicholas Tucci, had this to say:
One of the best pieces of advice he ever gave me was to “trust your stillness.” He would say “if you feel like it’s not landing, take the levels to half.” He was a master and every actor I know grew from working with him. Thank you for sharing this beautiful story.
Screenwriter and director Simon Barrett, a frequent collaborator of Adam Wingard’s, also used Twitter to express his remorse over Nicholas Tucci’s passing:
It’s fitting that many of Nicholas Tucci’s acting credits were within the horror genre. His IMDB bio states that he was a “rabid, lifelong Stephen King fan,” and that he had written several horror screenplays. Prior to his death, he completed three films which are currently in post-production: Ten Minutes to Midnight, Come Home, and Ballad of a Hustler.
