Nicole Kidman is set to portray the iconic television trailblazer Lucille Ball in Aaron Sorkin’s upcoming biopic Being the Ricardos. The film gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse at Lucille Ball’s rocky relationship with her real-life and on-screen husband, Desi Arnaz. Specifically, the story takes place over the course of a week during the production of I Love Lucy, which sees the couple encounter a crisis that could jeopardize their careers and marriage. Javier Bardem will portray Arnaz in the highly anticipated feature which has already started filming in Los Angeles.
The Biggest Challenge
During a Variety: Actors on Actors video chat with Chris Rock, Kidman shared her biggest challenge in playing the beloved red-haired funny woman. The Australian actress confessed,
“I am way out of my comfort zone right now, Chris. I’m free-falling.”
Although one of Hollywood’s most versatile and acclaimed actresses, the star wants to branch out further. “I’d like to be funny. I’m never cast funny.”
Rock replied, “Oh, you could be funny—you’re playing Lucille Ball. You better be funny.”
“Lucille Ball is hopefully funny,” Kidman responded.
The Accent
While Kidman has studied various accents over the years, but Lucy’s unique way of speaking has presented quite the challenge. “I’ve had to put in an enormous amount of time on Lucille Ball right now because she has a very particular rhythm and way of speaking,” she explained.
Additionally, Chris Rock describes Lucille Ball as “Mount Everest—just like one of the most talented people to ever roam the earth”—and fans would certainly agree.
Acknowledging the high bar that’s been set, Kidman says she’s determined to be bold in her acting choices. “I’ll take a risk, and if it turns out to not work, then hey—you fall down, you get up.” She also offers her best advice for actors everywhere: “Don’t get caught in any of the barriers, but be willing to fail.”
The Casting
There’s already been some controversy over the show’s casting. Ball and Arnaz’s children, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. are executive producers on the project. However, when news broke that Kidman would be playing Ball, some people on social media started suggesting other casting options.
In turn, Lucie posted, “There seems to be a lot of discussion about Nicole Kidman [and people saying] it should be Debra Messing. I don’t know, but here’s the deal and what you should understand: We’re not doing a remake of ‘I Love Lucy.’ No one has to impersonate Lucy Ricardo [or do] any of the silly things. It’s the story of Lucille Ball, my actual mother—not Lucy Ricardo—and her husband, Desi Arnaz, my dad—not Ricky Ricardo.”
Although a release date has yet to be given, Being the Ricardos is expected to stream on Prime Video.
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