Your Typical Bad Guy

Award winning actor Stanley Tucci is used to taking on the "bad guy" roles, so it is no surprise he plays one in the new film, "Road to Perdition."

The movie is a dark tale with a heart about a hitman father and his 12-year old son on the run from the mob in the 1930s.

Tucci plays the part of Frank Nitti, a real-life mobster. "Frank Nitti was Al Capone's right hand man who, they say, for all intents and purposes, ran the organization," Tucci said in an interview with The Early Show.

Although it may seem like your typical gangster movie, Tucci said the main theme of the movie is completely different. "I think it's about relationships - unmasking and coming to terms with one's true self," he said. "Tom Hanks' character is unmasked by his son and his adoptive father (played by Paul Newman) is unmasked also. They both have to decide which decision is the best for them - it's a truly tragic situation."

Since Tucci's character was based on a real person, he prepared for his role by reading articles and other information on Nitti.

He said he was delighted when he found out that director Sam Mendes had him in mind for the film, but was apprehensive about how the movie would play out. "Sam Mendes is a great guy - we had met before he asked me to do this," Tucci said. "I was a little reticent at first because of the gangster thing - but the script was so intelligent, beautifully written and in Sam's hands, it would be artfully done. He's great - incredibly specific - he understands the process and gets great results."

Tucci said that filming called for long hours on the set. "The scenes that I shot were compressed into 4 and a half hours - it was a long day, a 20-hour day. I only remember thinking it was very hard to be in a serious space for that long," he said.

The bright side was an opportunity to work with costars Tom Hanks and Paul Newman. "Tom Hanks was really great, truly nice guy, and wonderful actor," Tucci said. "Paul Newman was great, completely professional. I always was in a little awe of someone of his stature and he was nice and genuine."

Tucci's next project is the Broadway play, "Frankie & Johnny", which is slated to open on July 26. He is also working on the film "The Chambermaid" with Ralph Fiennes and Jennifer Lopez.

Fast Facts About Stanley Tucci

• Born Stanley Tucci Jr in Peekskill, N.Y., on Nov. 11, 1960.
• In 1982, he made his stage debut in "The Queen and the Rebels", starring Colleen Dewhurst.
• In 1987, he made his television debut in "Crime Story."
• In 1993, he appeared as an Arab assassin in "The Pelican Brief."
• In 1995, Tucci was cast as Richard Cross in the courtroom drama "Murder One", which earned him an Emmy nomination.
• In 1995, he made directorial debut (as co-director with Campbell Scott) and screenwriting debut (as co-writer with his cousin Joseph Tropiano) with "Big Night."
• In 1996, he signed two-year deal with Rysher Entertainment to write, direct and produce features through his production company, First Cold Press Prods.
• He starred in 1998 in the HBO biopic "Winchell", for which he received an Emmy Award.
• In 2001, Tucci portrayed Adolph Eichmann in the HBO drama "Conspiracy", for which he received an Emmy nomination.
• In 2002, he had featured role in the comedy "Big Trouble"