Lucille Ball’s Daughter Gives Nicole Kidman Some Amazing Praise That Should Comfort Fans

Lucille Ball’s daughter has given Nicole Kidman some incredible praise, amidst the actress’ portrayal of her mother, and it should comfort fans. In an interview with Palm Springs Life, Lucie Arnaz shared that she was present for some of the movie’s filming and she felt that Kidman “did a spectacular job.” Arnaz added, “Boy, what she did was astounding. She’s got such poise and class.” Kidman is starring as Ball in Being the Ricardos, a new fictional drama film from Aaron Sorkin, which is based on some true elements of Ball’s life.

Arnaz, who is the daughter of Ball and Desi Arnaz, explained that she understood Kidman was not cast for her resemblance to Ball, but rather for her acting skill. “Nobody was cast because they look exactly like somebody,” she said. “They were cast because they’re spectacular performers, actors, and they can capture the basic essence of what has been written in this script.” Arnaz also clarified that Sorkin took “some theatrical license” with her family’s story, including “a couple of true events that did happen” but “just didn’t happen at the same time.” She added that she feels fans of her mother and father will “learn a lot about what it was like back then.”

“His dialogue is always incredible. And I think he treated my mother and my father really well,” Arnaz said of Sorkin. “I think they are accurate composites of these people. And what I’ve seen of it … was extraordinarily classy and first-rate. The people that he has cast are just really great performers.”

Co-starring with Kidman in Being the Ricardos is Javier Bardem, who will play Desi Arnaz, Ball’s husband both on-screen and off. The film “takes place over the course of a week” during the production of the couple’s classic sitcom, I Love Lucy, and fins Ball and Arnaz encountering “a crisis that could jeopardize their careers and marriage.” Being the Ricardos will also feature J.K. Simmons (Spider-Man) and Nina Arianda (Billions) as William Frawley and Vivian Vance, respectively. Frawley and Vance are the actors who played Ethel and Fred Mertz, Lucy and Ricky’s best friends.

In a previous interview with Variety, Kidman spoke about taking on the task of portraying Ball, and revealed that she was excited to get the offer. “I was like, ‘Yeah, I would love to give it a go,’” she said. “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.”