Javier Bardem reveals that he lied to writer/director Aaron Sorkin about his musical abilities in order to be cast in Being the Ricardos. Being the Ricardos follows the true story of Lucille Ball (Nicole Kidman) and Desi Arnaz (Bardem) as they struggle to maintain their careers and marriage after Ball is accused of being a communist. The film also stars J.K. Simmons and was released as an Amazon Prime Original in 2021.
Arnaz himself was not only Ball's husband in real life, but also played her husband Ricky on their successful TV show I Love Lucy. The series still to this day has a massive fan base, which meant that Bardem certainly had some big shoes to fill. Bardem almost immediately received some criticism from fans for being a Spanish actor cast as a Cuban. However, having to deal with this criticism was not the only hurdle the actor faced. Arnaz was not only a comedian, but a musician as well, and would often perform musical numbers with Ball on the show, some of which would have to be recreated by Bardem in Being the Ricardos.
In a recent interview Bardem gave on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, he revealed that he actually lied to Sorkin about his musical abilities to secure his role in the film. After praising Bardem for his performance as Arnaz, Fallon asked if Bardem already knew how to "play congas, and guitar and sing." Bardem immediately responded by saying "no, of course not!" Bardem continued on to detail how his strategy was to just say he "knew how to do everything, as every actor should do." Bardem then went on to joke about how an actor's job was to say whatever you have to say to land a role, then "cope with the consequences" later. See Bardem's full quote below:
"No, of course not! I didn't know anything. But I lied, and I said to the director that I knew how to do everything, as every actor should do. We first lie, get the contract, get us signed, and once we are signed then we cope with the consequences! That's what happened. The good thing is that Aaron, through Zoom, he knew exactly that I was lying when he asked me, 'do you sing?' Of course! 'Do you play guitar?' Oh my god, I was born with a guitar! 'Do you play congas?' Congas? I have one here, do you want to hear it? 'Do you dance?' Dance? Jesus! Stop me. I can't stop dancing all day long!"
Bardem did admit that Sorkin seemed to know he was lying almost immediately. This did not seem to deter Bardem, as he reportedly continued to lie about his abilities. Bardem even joked that Sorkin's glasses "were steaming up" and thinking "Jesus, he's such a liar." Despite this, it seems Sorkin decided to entrust the role to Bardem, and Bardem reports that Sorkin was "so nice to really go with the lie."
It seems that casting Bardem was the right choice after all, as the actor has received much acclaim for his performance, despite not knowing how to play any musical instruments. This doesn't really come as much of a surprise, as Bardem is known for his dedication to roles. His own attitude in the interview screams of his dedication to the craft, as he makes it clear that he will do what ever is necessary to learn the skills he lied about having in his audition. Ultimately, the fans of I Love Lucy will have to decide for themselves if Bardem lived up to the real Desi Arnaz when they catch Being the Ricardos on Amazon Prime, streaming now.