Being the Ricardos Cast Talks the Comedic Genius of Icon Lucille Ball

While many of us know who Lucy Ricardo is, especially those from older generations who grew up watching I Love Lucy, the artist (and LGBTQ+ ally) behind the iconic TV character -- Lucille Ball -- is finally getting her own story told in writer-director Aaron Sorkin's newest biopic Being the Ricardos, which takes us on one of the most tumultuous and emotional working weeks of Ball (Nicole Kidman) and her husband/business partner Desi Arnaz's (Javier Bardem) careers.

Out got the chance to chat with the film's stars, including Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, J.K. Simmons, and Nina Arianda, about bringing Ball and Arnaz's legacy to life.

"She was a worker and she would never give up, and that was really an eye-opener," Kidman told Out about what it was like bringing Lucille Ball's story to life, especially her acumen as a comedic genius behind the scenes. "I would think, 'Oh, it's just, it's so easy for her,' and I think that's what Aaron Sorkin really shows is that, and a lot of comedians will tell you this, no, it isn't. It's about working it, and working it, and re-working it and then trying it again. Standup comedians do their material over and over again and hone it and physical comedians, it's the same thing. And it's timing and it's always being with it, it's almost like 24/7."

Speaking about the new things she learned while playing Ball, Kidman continued, saying:

"I did not know she was such a trailblazer. I actually just knew the I Love Lucy show, and even that I hadn't grown up watching, so my sense of her as a woman and everything that she did, you now go back and go, 'Wow!' What she accomplished in her lifetime is extraordinary."

Being the Ricardos is now playing in select theaters and is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

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