Lucille Ball’s daughter, Lucie Arnaz, is once again showing support for Nicole Kidman.
As Kidman prepares to step into the late comedian's shoes in the upcoming biopic, “Being the Ricardos,” Arnaz shared new details about the casting, which also includes Javier Bardem in the role of Arnaz’s father and Ball’s ex-husband, Desi Arnaz.
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"Nicole did a spectacular job," Lucie told The Palm Springs Life magazine.
"The two days that I watched, though, were both little flashbacks, so she was playing Lucy in the late '30s and mid-'40s. She wasn't Lucy of Lucy Ricardo fame yet, so it was a trifle different. And I know she meant it to be, so it could feel different. But boy, what she did was astounding. She's got such poise and class,” she added.
While some have criticized Kidman’s casting, Arnaz explained that the actress has encapsulated the "basic essence" of her mother in her portrayal.
"There are no look-alikes. I mean, nobody was cast because they look exactly like somebody," Arnaz 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. And Aaron was adamant about that and thank God. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished product,” she continued.
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The 69-year-old daughter previously defended the casting in a video posted to Facebook after fans noted the role should have been given to “Will & Grace” star, Debra Messing.
"There seems to be a lot of discussion about Nicole Kidman [and people saying] it should be Debra Messing.... I don't know, but here's the deal and what you should understand: We're not doing a remake of I Love Lucy,” Arnaz said. “No one has to impersonate Lucy Ricardo [or do] any of the silly things. It's the story of Lucille Ball, my actual mother.”
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The film is being directed by entertainment titan Aaron Sorkin. Arnaz and her brother Desi Arnaz Jr. will serve as executive producers.
“Being the Ricardos” is said to follow the couple during a single production week of their iconic 1950s sitcom.
It starts with a Monday table read and runs all the way through Friday’s filming in front of a live audience, while showing the couple facing a crisis that could “end their careers and another that could end their marriage.”
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"It is a story of the two of them and how they met, and what went right with finding the show and what went wrong, their relationship, their love affair,” Arnaz said in the video.
Arnaz assured fans that they “won’t be disappointed” by the finished product, and asked people to trust the creative process.
In June, Kidman spoke to Chris Rock about what it is like taking on the role of a comedy legend during a conversation for Variety’s Actor on Actors series.
"I am way out of my comfort zone right now, Chris. I’m free-falling,” the “Undoing” actress revealed.
Lucille and Desi tied the knot in 1940 and went on to co-star in "I Love Lucy." They divorced in 1960.
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