Nicole Kidman reveals what the most challenging aspect of playing Lucille Ball in Amazon's Being the Ricardos movie was. The highly anticipated film chronicles a particularly harrowing week in the life of power couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz as they navigate troubles both on the set of I Love Lucy and behind the scenes. Written and directed by prolific auteur Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing), the movie was in the works for over five years prior to production.
As soon as Being the Ricardos was announced, diehard fans projected their strong casting opinions across social media. While Javier Bardem was attached to the project as Desi Arnaz early on, Lucy left behind bigger shoes to fill. After much buzz, and even a confirmation that Cate Blanchett would transform into the iconic sitcom star, Nicole Kidman entered the conversation in January of 2021. Kidman was soon confirmed to be playing Lucy, with the late legend's daughter Lucie Arnaz giving her blessing. The news stirred quite the controversy online, leaving the Oscar-winner to rethink her decision. However, as early screenings occur, many are saying that Kidman nailed the performance.
For Kidman, it seems the backlash wasn't the hardest part of bringing Lucy to life. The Big Little Lies lead revealed to ET that for her the most challenging aspect of becoming Lucille Ball was the voice. When the interviewer complimented Kidman on really channeling Lucy's voice and then asked what the hardest part of playing her was, Kidman responded by saying:
"That. I think that demystifying that. That's where I was lucky that Aaron Sorkin felt so confident that what he had written and what he was doing was the story he wanted to tell."
It appears Kidman not only meant that nailing the exact cadence of Lucy was tough, but actually breaking through the star's strong exterior was also a challenge. She went on to say that there was less stress on her as an actor because Sorkin was the one at the helm. Kidman added that at the end of the day, Sorkin simply wanted Kidman to humanize Ball and make her real. It wasn't all serious, though, as the Aussie said getting to try on Lucy's comedic chops was tons of fun.
Though critics initially pushed back upon hearing Kidman and Ball's names in the same sentence, it seems many are changing their tune. Initial responses to Being the Ricardos are calling this the performance of Kidman's career. The trailer alone proves that the hardworking artist honed in on not only Lucy's voice but her physicality as well. Of course, the assistance of a stellar hair and makeup department was definitely a vital ingredient to the transformation. Regardless of the response, it's clear that Kidman ended up having a ball making the film.
