‘I Love Lucy’: Lucie Arnaz Said Show’s Greatest Strength Was Being Funny While Not Making Fun of Anyone
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s daughter is a big I Love Lucy fan. Lucie Arnaz, who often talks about her parents and their legacy, had some insights into why the show worked so well. For her, I Love Lucy had a lovely combination of kindness and comedy, never having to punch down to get a good laugh.
She also thinks I Love Lucy was great at grabbing viewers early on.
“They understood how to set up a problem within the first two minutes of the show. What do you need? What’s the need? I want what? And I can’t get it because? Boom, done, you’re in,” she told WTOP News.
“They never made fun of anybody. It wasn’t humor that is current events humor. … It was just about friends, family, and the kinds of wants and desires that everybody has through the decades for generations, so it still holds up today. We still laugh at it today,” she said.
Lucie Arnaz is Working on a Film About the ‘I Love Lucy’ Stars
Arnaz is now working with the production of Being the Ricardos, a film about her parents and their complicated relationship. The film will follow a week behind the scenes of I Love Lucy as Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz live out their tumultuous existence together.
She’s sat in on production and has posted that she’s very excited about the film. “It’s still pretty hush hush,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “So I am restricted to just a few teasers right now. But, let me just say, I think we are going to have a lot of very surprised naysayers. I was blown away.”
Arnaz has Defended The Casting for the Film
Being the Ricardos stars Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem as Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. It’s a casting choice, particularly in the case of Nicole Kidman, that Lucie has had to defend. Many who are upset at the casting choice feel that Kidman isn’t funny enough.
For Lucie, it’s important fans realize that this isn’t a comedy portraying Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, but a serious film portraying the lives of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, which is quite the difference.
“We agreed to the inspired casting choice of Nicole Kidman because she is smart, a first-class, award-winning actress who can play comedy or drama and become anyone she puts her mind to,” Arnaz said in a statement.
The film will also feature JK Simmons and Nina Arianda as William Frawley and Vivian Vance, Ball and Arnaz’s co-stars and close friends. It’s directed by Aaron Sorkin, and will likely premiere sometime early next year. Regardless of how you feel about Kidman playing Ball, Being the Ricardos has many of the ingredients needed to be a hit.
It helps that Lucie Arnaz, daughter of the I Love Lucy stars, is overseeing the creative process, doing everything possible to ensure the authenticity of the film.
