Nicole Kidman loves the thought of portraying beloved actress and comedian Lucille Ball. She was “an amazing woman,” Kidman says.
Kidman talked for the first time about her casting in the movie “Being The Ricardos.” Aaron Sorkin wrote the movie and will direct it. Javier Bardem will play Desi Arnaz, Lucille Ball’s first husband. The two portrayed husband and wife in “I Love Lucy,” a 1950s era sitcom that was the most popular show in the United States for four of the six years it was on the air.
It’s an all-star collaboration from the writer to the actors. All have won Academy Awards. Sorkin also created the “West Wing,” which won multiple Emmys for television’s best drama.
But the casting, which was announced earlier this month, set off some social media controversy. Some people wanted a Cuban cast as Desi Arnaz. Bardem is from Spain.
Others questioned the choice of Nicole Kidman.
“I was like, ‘Yeah, I would love to give it a go,’” Kidman told Variety. “With Aaron’s words and his direction and Javier … that’s kind of a wonderful prospect to, you know. But yikes, off we go. Give it a go. Try my best—see if I can do it.”
Kidman said she’s been catching up on “I Love Lucy” episodes to prep for the movie.
“I love Lucille, having looked now and delved into her,” Kidman said. “She’s an amazing woman. I’m very excited for people to see what Aaron found out about her and the way he’s interpreted Desi and Lucy and the way that it’s so rich. I didn’t know any of this.”
Actress Debra Messing Said She’d Be Better Choice Than Nicole Kidman
The movie is a one-week slice of shooting for an episode of “I Love Lucy.”
When the movie was announced earlier this month, at least one star openly campaigned for the part. Debra Messing, the star of the sitcom “Will and Grace” tweeted about how she was the perfect choice to play Lucy. Messing, with her red curls, certainly looks the part of Lucy. Messing even played Lucille Ball as part of a “Will and Grace” episode.
But Lucie Arnaz, Lucy and Ricky’s real-life daughter, said to stick with Nicole Kidman.
In a video clip posted to Facebook, Lucie Arnaz said: ‘We are not doing a remake of I Love Lucy. No one has to impersonate Lucy Ricardo.
“‘It’s the story of Lucille Ball, my actual mother, not Lucy Ricardo, and her husband Desi Arnaz, my dad, not Ricky Ricardo. There will be humor in the film but it is a story of the two of them, and how they met, and what went right with finding the show, what went wrong – their relationship, their love affair.’
‘Just trust us. It’s gonna be a nice film. And P.S. the voting is over. I love all of you.’
The movie can bring so many vivid details of the couple’s real life love and problems to the big screen.
Lucille Ball met Desi Arnaz in 1940. He was five years her junior. They fell madly in love and eloped six months after they met. Lucille Ball tried to divorce Desi four years into their marriage. He reportedly cheated on her and drank too much. Still, they stayed together until 1960. The TV sitcom was one way they tried to work on their marriage. The couple had two children — Lucie and Desi Jr.
They each remarried. Desi died in 1986; Ball died in 1989.
Meanwhile, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, her husband, have been living in Australia with their two daughters. Kidman is working on a new TV show for Hulu.
