Nicole Kidman is reportedly out of her comfort zone as she tackles the role of iconic actress, comedian, and businesswoman Lucille Ball in the biographical drama Being the Ricardos. Ball and her husband Desi Arnaz became iconic television stars during their six-year run as stars of CBS' I Love Lucy and thereafter as the owners of the successful Desilu Productions. Desilu would go on to produce 25 series including the first seasons of Star Trek, Mission Impossible, and Mannix.
While the couple's iconic television series I Love Lucy made them small-screen stars, it would be Lucy and Desi's professional relationship that would become legendary in the television industry. Ball used her star power to financially invest in the entertainment business and became the first woman to head a TV production company. Desilu would produce I Love Lucy and after Ball and Arnaz's divorce in 1960, she bought out her ex-husband's share and became a very actively engaged studio head.
In a recent conversation with Chris Rock for Variety, Kidman opened up about the joys and challenges of playing Ball. She explained that for this role, in particular, she had to put an "enormous" amount of time into her diction work because Ball had a very distinct way of speaking. She claimed she was "out of her comfort zone" and "free-falling" in the role. Kidman also shared that she would welcome the opportunity to be funny as she is never cast in comedic roles. She explained that while many people think the film is about I Love Lucy, it is at its heart a film about the couple's relationship and marriage.
Ball's comedic timing would go on to inspire many female actresses for decades. However, Ball was not a natural comedian. Whatever antics her TV character engaged in for a particular episode were worked out in advance. Ball had to get the nuances of the scene down pat so she could relax and be comedic. She was so technical, and everything she did, every move she made, had to be worked out and appropriate to whatever the scene called for. It was only then, she could relax and allow herself to fall into the lighter side of the sketch or scene, and Ball's delivery was always on-point. With this much preparation on Ball's part, it only makes sense why Kidman would be intimidated in her role.
Kidman and Ball may have more in common than one might think as their work ethics appear to be similar in nature. While critics could not see Kidman in the role and found her casting to be unusual, there is no one better to approach the task of embodying the comedic genius than the Oscar-winning actress. Some names tossed into the ring were Debra Messing, who re-enacted Ball from her I Love Lucy days on Will & Grace, and Cate Blanchett, who was originally in talks for the role as far back as 2017. Whether or not Nicole Kidman nails Ball's characterization in the film remains to be seen. But if her methodical method to creation matched Ball's, fans may be in for a real surprise.
Source: Variety