Nicole Kidman reveals she started smoking to prepare for her role as Lucille Ball in Amazon's Being the Ricardos biographical drama. With 40 years in Hollywood under her belt, Kidman has taken on numerous roles in films and television that have seen her shed her Australian accent. The actress' latest outing as the famous female comedian, Lucille Ball, sees her star alongside Javier Bardem, who plays Ball's real-life husband, Desi Arnaz.

Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, Being the Ricardos follows the relationship between the two I Love Lucy stars, Ball and Arnaz. The film offers a glimpse into the couple's complicated romantic and professional relationship and takes audiences behind-the-scenes and into the writers' room during one critical production week of the couple's groundbreaking sitcom. The project was initially announced back in September of 2015 with Cate Blanchett pegged to star as Ball; however, by January of 2021, Blanchett dropped out of the project, and Kidman began negotiations to take the role. Kidman's initial casting was met with controversy on social media, to which Lucie Arnaz (the daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz) spoke out in defense of Kidman's casting. Already receiving nominations for a Golden Globe Award and a Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress, it seems Kidman's casting was spot on.

Related: Being the Ricardos: Cast & Character Guide

In an interview with DuJour, Kidman reveals she started smoking to prepare for her role as Lucille Ball in Being the Ricardos. The 54-year-old actress explains that she told her vocal coach, Tom Jones, that nailing a "deep smoker's voice" was going to be "impossible" due to her Australian accent. Turning to extreme measures to capture Ball's iconic voice, Kidman details that she "started smoking." The actress further says that if she "warm[s] up for a minute," she can do "[Lucille's] voice standing on [her] head."

Lucy and Desi side by side sitting in Being the Ricardos

Despite Sorkin's assurance that Kidman was "perfect for the part," the actress also reveals that she still was uncertain about the role, thinking that "maybe [she's] not the right person." Despite this doubt, Kidman took on the role and has since received generally universal praise for her portrayal. The actress' interview also touched on her thoughts about aging within the acting industry. Saying that she's never had someone tell her "you're past your due date," Kidman feels that there's a "consensus in the industry," which applies to female actors, that around age 40, "the door is shut on you." Nonetheless, the actress feels things are "definitely changing and moving," which is perfectly encompassed in Being the Ricardos.

Kidman is an award-winning actress with an immense amount of experience in the industry. Going the extra mile for her roles, such as smoking to nail down Ball's voice, is what makes her such a powerhouse of an actress. Fans can watch how Kidman's method for preparing for her role helped shape the character in Being the Ricardos, which is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Next: Why I Love Lucy Was So Influential

Source: DuJour