Being the Ricardos | Nicole Kidman: from Lucy Ricardo to Lucille Ball

In the third feature film, which he also directed, the famous playwright Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network) goes back to the time ofI love lucy, legendary sitcom starring Lucille Ball. Nicole Kidman had the double challenge of playing the legendary actress, in front of and behind the set.

Marc-André Lussier
Press

During the 1950s, almost all of America took a Monday night break to revel in Lucy Ricardo’s woes. This housewife (as we said at the time) did not hesitate to use all the resources of her fertile imagination to try to fulfill herself and push the limits imposed at the time, while making people laugh out loud. the millions of viewers who watched it.

A pioneer in her field, not hesitating to direct her own set, Lucille Ball was able to exercise a power which, at the time when television was still in its first decade of existence, was still very rarely attributed to women. . Still interested in the world of politics and the media, Aaron Sorkin, a year later The Trial of the Chicago 7, offers a behind-the-scenes tour of the popular show, the first of 180 episodes of which aired on CBS 70 years ago.

“This film lifts the veil, not on the show I love lucy, but more about who Lucille Ball was, how she went about showing off her genius, ”Nicole Kidman said in a short virtual press conference recently.

Among the defining moments the feature film echoes is this fight to appear pregnant on television when the word was even banned from the air. Then, this revelation by a newspaper about his alleged connections with the Communist Party, sacrilege in a McCarthyist era during which many artists were relegated to a blacklist for anti-American activities. Not to mention the rumors of infidelity from her husband, Desi Arnaz, a life, business and game partner.

Several challenges to overcome

Also starring Javier Bardem (Desi Arnaz), Nina Arianda and JK Simmons (the latter camp the actors playing Ethel and Fred, neighbors and best friends of Ricardo), Being the Ricardos was a particular challenge for the four main performers, as they had to embody both the comedy characters, and their performers in real life.

Carried away by her enthusiasm, the actress had however not really measured what she had committed to by accepting the role. The Aaron Sorkin and Lucille Ball combination being irresistible in her eyes, Nicole Kidman found there a great opportunity to work a big role while the world was plunged into a pandemic.

“It was only a week after giving my consent that it struck me,” explains the actress. I was just trying, very gradually, to find Lucille’s voice, and it all seemed unreachable to me then. I told myself that I would have liked to have this talent, which I did not have. Fortunately, I had the right to a few months of preparation and I was able to go about it slowly, meticulously and methodically. This approach is rather unusual for me because I always work from the inside out. However, the interior was already there. I could relate to Lucille and feel her moods because everything was so well written. ”

Manage insecurities

Nicole Kidman says she is grateful to Aaron Sorkin. The latter was able to manage the insecurities of the star of Red Mill, including times of panic.

“Aaron sent me a note telling me that I had to take it all day to day, he especially didn’t want an imitation. “I want you to do the job that I know you can and will do,” he told me. I don’t want you to worry. ” I obviously challenged him on that, at different stages, but Aaron was still strong and very consistent.

“At first,” she continues, “it was easier for me to hang on to the character of the sitcom because there are very well defined outlines then. Lucy Ricardo then led me to Lucille Ball. Who, she, is very different from the character that she played on the screen. Lucy Ricardo was a total creation of Lucille Ball. ”

Being the Ricardos will be available on Amazon Prime Video starting Tuesday.