Michael Tucker
and Jill Eikenberry are best known for their Emmy-nominated roles on the
long-running television hit, LA Law. Married for 35 years, the two now
divide their time between stage acting in Manhattan and their stone rustico in the Umbrian
countryside. Currently starring in off-Broadway musical Enter Laughing,
they are headed to Florence on November 9 and 10 to perform Love Letters as a benefit for the Florence
International Theatre Company.
Tucker’s new book, Living in a Foreign Language, chronicles the
couple’s decision to buy a cottage in Italy and the many adventures
that come along with it. The Florentine caught up with them to chat
about the meaning of home, family and food, the importance of learning a
language, the fun of cultural differences and their secret for a happy
marriage.
How much of the year do you spend in Umbria? What are your plans
while you’re here next?
Michael Tucker and Jill Eikenberry: We spend as much time as
we can in Umbria, though it differs from
year to year. Our family, including our two kids and Jill’s mom, are all in New York, so we like to be here [New York] for them, for their important
moments. We also work in New York, and as actors, our
schedule changes depending on what we’re working on. But no matter how much
time we spend in each, we truly feel ‘at home’ in both places. When we’re in Umbria, it feels just as natural
as when we are in New York.
MT: We are leaving for Italy next week and it will be the first time we’ll be
there in November, just in time for the olive harvest. We will pick olives for
the first time! I’m also hoping to finish my next book, which will be a
continuation of Living in a Foreign Language.
JE: At first we were sorry to not be in the States for
the election, but now we realize how fortunate we are to be in Umbria where we will get an entirely different
perspective on it all. It’s easy to live with blinders on, but when you force
yourself to yank them off you are made to re-evaluate everything.
What can you tell us about your Umbrian cottage, The Rustico? What makes is
special?
MT and JE: Well, it started out as a cottage: it was 100
square meters when we bought it, but we actually doubled the size when we did
our renovations. It still has a cottage feel to it, though. It’s definitely not
a villa! It is a 350-year-old stone rustico, a farm worker’s cottage.
Two of the most special features are the 400-year-old wood-burning oven outside
in the garden and the pergola, between the house and the garden. The pergola is
our hearth: it’s where we gather to eat in the summer and relax with friends.
Right after we
bought the house, we were talking with our local butcher, who mentioned that
the oven on our property used to be the communal forno, where the
villagers would go to bake their bread. It still feels like the center of the
house, in fact. When we have friends over and use the oven to cook for them we
feel like we are doing something for people-carrying on the forno’s
tradition.
The book mentions that Jill is a ‘nester’; what
have you done to make The Rustico feel like home and not a vacation house?
MT and JE: The Rustico is filled with
things we have collected over the years on our travels, so everything has a
unique meaning for us. We also have a number of friends who are artists, both
in Italy and in New York, and through the years we
have bought their art, so each thing on our walls has a story and a meaning
connected to it. It brings such warmth and color to the house. Having moved so
many times to many different types of places and houses, we both just know what
is going to work and what isn’t-it helps when both ‘decorators’ have the same
idea!
What role does language play in your life in Umbria?
MT and JE: It was very important for us to learn Italian since
the only way to truly connect with people and get to know them is to speak
their language. We have seen friendships grow tremendously with every step we
take in learning Italian. We used to almost dread evenings out where we knew
we’d be the only non-native speakers. Now we look forward to those times! It is
very gratifying and feels like an accomplishment. It’s a real high, especially
because the older you get the harder it is to pick up another language. We are
so fortunate to have each other, to be learning together-we have fun with it!
What role does humor play in your relationships
with the locals?
MT and JE: At first it was hard, because our Italian was so
rough. Learning the language has allowed us to understand the idiosyncrasies of
our local friends as well as the ironies, which are different than in the
States. Now we’re able to make jokes-it’s great!
You seem to connect with people you meet through
food and cooking; how has this facilitated your ability to make friends in the
various places you’ve lived? What role does Umbrian food culture play in
feeling at home in the Rustico?
MT: Living in Italy has revolutionized the
way we think about eating and cooking. I used to go for much more ornate dishes
and combinations, but now I am convinced it’s about keeping it simple and
local. I love to eat and cook in Italy.
JE: I actually became a
foodie in Italy! When I’m in the States,
I think of eating as something I have to do to stay healthy, but in Italy I revel in it. One of my
favorite things to do is go into the garden, pick some fresh vegetables and
herbs and bring it into to Mike to make something out of it. The hardest thing
about coming back to New York is the food; we get so
used to eating fresh, local foods that we can really tell the difference.
You often mention being relaxed when in Umbria. To what do you attribute
this sensation?
MT and JE: There is a huge difference between our Manhattan and Umbrian lives. We go from the busy,
fast-paced city to the middle of the country. There are a different set of
priorities in Italy, time is different, and it doesn’t take us long
to adjust to it. The first couple of days we may still hang onto our American
timelines, but once we realize that certain things just take longer we just let
go and let it happen. One of our landscapers once had us stand out in our
garden and look up at the sky for 10 whole minutes-in the middle of a
conference on how to proceed with the renovations! That would never happen in New York City!
New cities, travel and
immersing yourselves in other cultures seem to invigorate you individually and
as a couple. Can you comment on that?
MT: I am actually not a great traveller; I don’t like
packing and unpacking and all that goes along with it. But we love to make new
homes and bring friends and family into our new lives. We’re culture junkies.
We’ve lived in such diverse places: Manhattan, Los Angeles, the California Bay Area, Umbria. Each place is unique and we’ve gained a
particular perspective thanks to each one.
Your relationship with each other and your
long-lasting love affair is a main character in the book. What’s your secret to
a happy marriage?
MT and JE: Trust each other enough to allow the other to
change. Both people will change-it’s inevitable-so trust in each other no
matter what. In our case, we like to live ‘over the edge’ as much as possible.
We don’t want to become complacent or find ourselves hanging onto the edge for
dear life, so we each encourage the other to take the leap, so to speak. We
have also made our relationship a priority over the years. We talk about
everything.
Were you surprised to see an English language
theatre company in Tuscany?
MT and JE: Yes, there’s definitely not one in Umbria! We are thrilled to be doing Love Letters for FITC. In the U.S. we are very accustomed to performing benefits
for theatre companies and are proud to be doing it for one in Florence. We’ve never done theatre with subtitles before,
so we are looking forward to seeing how that works. We haven’t been to Florence in a while and are excited to make this
‘insider’s trip’ and cultivate some new friendships there.
Jill is a breast cancer survivor and you are both
strong advocates and supporters of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Can you talk
a bit about your work with this amazing group of people?
JE: We were national spokespeople for the foundation for
years and are still involved in our local New York City chapter. It is such an important organization
for getting the word out and making sure that those fighting breast cancer feel
supported and safe, and making sure that they are aware of all of the
alternative and complementary care that’s available. I’ve been cancer free for
20 years and my personal mission has always been to show that there’s life
after cancer.
What’s up next for you?
MT and JE: Well, we’ll probably be on crutches after the olive
picking! But barring that, we’ll be back in New York for two performances in December and it looks
like our show will be run again starting in January. We are looking forward to
spending time with our family-Italy has taught us a lot about having our loved ones
close and sharing moments together.
Love Letters
November 9 at 7pm
Teatro di Cestello, Piazza Cestello, Florence
Dinner and book signing
November 10 at 8pm
Club Paradiso, via dell’Orto 24r
