Hollywood is in the midst of what some might refer to as a “Zaddy” phase. Within that, a number of veteran male actors have been spotlighted as of late for their unique sense of style and sex appeal. The star who seems to be leading this trend at the moment is Law & Order icon Christopher Meloni. The 61-year-old star knows his fans call him Zaddy, and he’s been relishing his title for some time now. Amid the love for Meloni though, Emily Blunt reminded fans that he’s not the only person to hold that TV distinction. Her brother-in-law, Stanley Tucci, falls into that same category.
For those who need a bit of context, Stanley Tucci has been a popular actor for some time now, but his fanbase arguably grew exponentially after a video went viral in 2020. The clip, which shows Tucci fixing up a Negroni cocktail for wife Felicity Blunt, made the Internet incredibly “thirsty.” The Hunger Games alum later admitted that he and his spouse had “no idea” that the video would take off in the way that it did. For Tucci, it was simply an opportunity to show off the bartending skills he’s honed, which is why he continues to make the videos. You can see the one that started it all down below:
The topic of the Oscar nominee’s increased popularity was discussed by Emily Blunt during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. During the interview, Blunt reflected on when the buzz first began while also revealing what her brother-in-law really thinks about all of the attention:
It’s amazing that it took a sort of irreverent video on Instagram that my sister told him to post, and then he became a sex symbol. But I asked him. I said, ‘Do you like it deep down? Like do you love being a sex symbol?’ And he goes, ‘I mean, yeah.’ [laughs]
Both the actress and Stephen Colbert seemed to be in agreement on Stanley Tucci’s current status and, honestly, I don’t see how anyone could disagree. While he may not immediately come off as imposing, the actor is a pretty smooth guy and is clearly a pro at mixing drinks. And of course, he also has a pretty sharp sense of style. Those attributes alone are definitely enough to warrant the title of sex symbol and, with that, he now shares a firm connection with the aforementioned Law & Order star.
During his his Zaddy phase, Christopher Meloni opened up about being at sex symbol at 61. For him, “it’s fun,” and it sounds like he also plans to ride out the hype for as long as possible. It’s been great to see the love the veteran actor has received, though the Meloni kids deserve our condolences for having to deal with memes themselves. Meanwhile, L&O’s Mariska Hargitay has also been supportive of her longtime friend and co-star’s Zaddy era, not unlike Emily Blunt has been of her brother in law.
If I were Stanley Tucci and Christopher Meloni, I’d seek to capitalize on this hype in some form or fashion. Perhaps they can team up for a TV or film production in the near future. I’m sure audiences would eat it up, and it’d be a perfect way to further cement their respective statuses.
The public will have to wait and see if such a thing happens but, in the meantime, check out the latter actor on Law & Order: Organized Crime on Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET as part of the 2022 TV schedule. And see Stanley Tucci on Inside Man, which can be streamed using a Netflix subscription.
