Stanley Tucci almost ended his age-gap relationship with Felicity Blunt over heartbreaking fear

Stanley Tucci admitted that he once nearly broke up with his now-wife Felicity Blunt because he was worried about their 21-year age gap.

The Hunger Games actor, 65, hasn't been shy about the more difficult parts of being older than your partner, as he's been married to the literary agent, 45, since 2012.

With more than two decades between them, it can bring challenges that other couples who are more similar in age wouldn't have to face.

The celebrity duo met at the 2006 premiere of The Devil Wears Prada, in which he played Nigel, costarring with Emily Blunt, who is actually Felicity's sister, and who played the role of Miranda Priestly's assistant, also called Emily.

However, at the time, Stanley was with his first wife Kate, whom he was married to for 14 years and shares three children with. She tragically died from breast cancer in 2009 at age 47.

Stanley and Felicity reconnected four years later at Emily’s 2010 wedding to actor John Krasinski.

There's a 21-year age gap between Stanley Tucci and his wife Felicity Blunt (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Romance blossomed, they tied the knot, and they went on to welcome two children - son Matteo, 11, in 2015 and daughter Emilia, eight, in 2018.

This also means that Emily Blunt is his sister-in-law - talk about making a very famous family!

But, as mentioned, not everything has been smooth sailing, and the Hollywood actor has spoken out about the challenges that an age gap can pose on numerous occasions.

In 2023, he revealed that in the very early days of their romance, he once attempted to break up with Felicity out of fear that he would 'feel old for the rest of my life'.

Speaking on a 2023 episode of BBC Radio's Desert Island Discs, The Devil Wears Prada star explained: "I kept trying to break it off. I'm 21 years older than she is and I didn't want to feel old for the rest of my life! But I knew that this was an incredibly special person."

He also heartbreaking told The Times last September: "I am sad that I won’t see her get old and that I won’t be able to look after her if she needs looking after."

"I think there’s something really beautiful about people ageing together. And unless there’s some miracle, that can’t happen.”

Despite initial reservations and momentary worries, though, all has turned out well, and he has nothing but praise for his partner and their relationship.

The marriage also means that Stanley's The Devil Wears Prada co-star Emily Blunt became his sister-in-law (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

On Thursday's (7 May) episode of Jenna Bush Hager’s Open Book podcast, he reflected on their relationship and how it 'changed his life'.

The actor said, "I wasn’t sure that I would ever remarry. I never thought I would have children again. And when I met her, it just sort of made sense, even though there is this age gap of 21 years.

"And obviously, I knew her family, or I knew her sister [Emily Blunt] was one of my best friends. And we just hit it off."

He added, "We had a lot in common, even though we had nothing in common.

"And it just sort of stuck. But I think she changed my life in the sense that she gave me a sense of security. She gave my children a sense of security. And she’s fun. Like, she’s fun to hang out with.

“She’s incredibly positive, which I am not always. I mean, her mind is incredible. Her capacity to take in information, not just from a book, but from the world and process it, and turn it into something else is just extraordinary. She’s pretty cool."