Fans flew into outrage after it was announced that actor Nicole Kidman would be starring as Lucille Ball in Aaron Sorkin’s new movie, Being The Ricardos. Given that the pair did not look too similar and Kidman was Australian, people were furious that the casting director would choose Kidman to play Ball.
Fans now, however, are beyond excited to see Kidman on the big screen when the film eventually comes out as new photos taken on the set of the film prove that she makes a fantastic Lucille Ball.
Paparazzi were happy to see Kidman wearing the wig to match Ball’s recognizable hair because Kidman typically has a more neutral hair tone as Kidman’s fire-red hair may be seen in photos taken on the film’s set. Standing next to a sign warning people not to use social media on set due to the secret nature of movie-making as she pose for herself, Kidman also shared an image from the set of the Sorkin movie.
The tale of Lucille Ball and her husband, Desi Arnaz, who appeared in the renowned sitcom I Love Lucy in 1951, will be told in Sorkin’s most recent film, Being The Ricardos. From 1940 until their divorce in 1960, the two were married but had a turbulent relationship.
In the movie, Kidman will be starring alongside Javier Bardem. “I was like, ‘Yeah, I would love to give it a go, 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 told Variety.
In order to get to know Ball and her demeanor, Kidman spent hours studying I Love Lucy rehearsals and behind-the-scenes recordings, as the preparation for the movie.
She said, “I love Lucille, having looked now and delved into her, 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.”
Trying to calm the outrage down, Ball and Arnaz’s daughter, Lucie Arnaz, shared a message on Facebook, as fans were outraged that Kidman was chosen to portray Ball.
“Nobody has to impersonate Lucy Ricardo nor do the Vitameatavegamin routine, or … any of the silly things. It’s the story of Lucille Ball, my actual mother, not Lucy Ricardo, and her husband, Dezi Arnaz, my dad, not Ricky Ricardo, Aaron has done a wonderful job of bringing these characters to life, and it’s just a little … slice of life in their journey,” Lucie explained.
“It’s not the whole story. It’s not a biopic from the cradle to the grave. It is a two-hour feature film about these two people and some of the remarkable things they lived through. So I hope I can set the record straight here and just say, stop arguing about who should play her, ‘She doesn’t look like her, her nose isn’t the same, she isn’t as funny…’ Just trust us, it’s going to be a nice film, and p.s. the voting is over,” Lucie added. “I love all of you,” she shared.
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Sources: AWM, Audacy, Outsider
