Playing such an evil character, it seems, was difficult for Tucci. He said:
“I would not play George Harvey again in ‘The Lovely Bones,’ which was horrible. […] It’s a wonderful movie, but it was a tough experience. Simply because of the role.”
Tucci previously admitted, back in 2009, that he tried to pass on the role at the urging of his wife. The subject matter was too dark, he said, as it centered around the assault and murder of a teenage girl. In 2009, he even said that he couldn’t focus on the book because of its subject matter. Even though Tucci was desperate for a job, he felt he couldn’t handle George.
Of course, back in the ET interview, Tucci recalls being curious as to why Jackson saw a vicious serial killer in him. The answer, the actor found, was a little strange and not entirely satisfying. It seems it was Tucci’s comedic talents that Jackson was drawn to. What that meant, however, Tucci had to suss out on his own. He said:
“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,” he recalled. “But I was like, ‘Why do you want me?’ And he said, ‘Because you’re funny.’ And I thought, ‘Okay.’ 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?”
Tucci’s humor led to a naturalness that a more “dramatic” performance wouldn’t communicate.
Source : https://www.slashfilm.com/1264197/stanley-tucci-tried-to-get-out-of-peter-jacksons-the-lovely-bones/
