Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz are undeniably one of the most iconic old-Hollywood couples. Not only were they a pair on-screen in their classic sitcom, I Love Lucy , but they were a family off-screen, too.
Recently, it was announced that their story is coming to life for a whole new generation of audiences in an upcoming film directed by Aaron Sorkin. The actors in talks to play the couple include Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem.
Now, fans are weighing in on the controversial choices and many think Nicole Kidman shouldn’t play the title role of Lucille.
*I Love Lucy* is the definition of classic television, and the show wouldn’t have been the magic it was without Lucille Ball.
Her comedic timing, signature expressions, and over-the-top personality are what made the show iconic for six seasons!
I Love Lucy starred then-married couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, and their friends, Vivian Vance and William Frawley, played married couple Ethel and Fred Mertz.
Now it is being reported that Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem will play the iconic couple in an upcoming film directed by Hollywood heavy-hitter Aaron Sorkin.
According to Deadline, the movie, titled *Being the Ricardos*, will follow a week on the set of *I Love Lucy*, “starting with a Monday table read-through and an audience shoot on Friday.”
“Ball and Arnaz will face challenges that could end their careers and their marriage,” the publication continued .
Aaron has already written the screenplay and will direct the film for Amazon Studios and Escape Artists with the pair’s children, Lucie and Desi Jr., signed on as executive producers.
While there is a lot of initial buzz about the film, some fans aren’t thrilled with the choice of cast.
In fact, many fans were calling for Debra Messing to play Lucille instead.
“The insanity of not casting @DebraMessing to play Lucille Ball is head-scratching for this project. They got some ‘splainin’ to do,” tweeted one fan.
“Debra Messing would be make a fantastic Lucille Ball. They both have red hair, the same brand of humor, facial expressions are similar etc… She would be perfect in my opinion,” agreed another.
As many fans pointed out, Debra has already played Lucille in an episode of *Will and Grace*! Look at how identical she looks:
The experience was a dream come true for Debra, who has been a lifelong Lucille Ball fan.
Chatting with Variety about the Will and Grace special, the actress recalled getting support from Lucille’s daughter, Lucie Arnaz.
Recalling the moment when Lucie came into the dressing room to see her full transformation for the first time, she said:
“I was in the green dress. We were about to shoot the song and dance [number] and she walked in and she just looked at me and didn’t say anything. Then she hugged me and she said, ‘This feels really good. It’s been a long time since I’ve hugged you,’ and everyone started to cry.”
“And then she smiled and she said, ‘I know how long you’ve been wanting to do this, Debra. And I’m so glad we were able to make it happen.'”
“And then I had to go [to the stage],” she continued. “As I walked away, she said, ‘Break a leg, Mom.’ Everybody just flipped out and cried. It was really moving.”
This moment was huge for everyone involved, because it was the first time Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. have allowed their parents’ work to be recreated this way.
“That bottle that I held for the Vitameatavegamin [scene] was the exact bottle that Lucy held,” Debra revealed. “That bottle had been in storage for 60 years and our props man was able to get it. … When he told me it was her bottle, I just broke into tears.”
She later said in that same interview that she wouldn’t want to play Lucille in any other way but now has clarified on Twitter that she’s changed her mind.
“Like 15 years ago people would say, ‘Hey, do you want to do like a made for TV movie or something?’ And I always felt like, ‘Oh, I would not even touch that. Like she is untouchable,’” she recalled to Variety at the time.
“But the fact that it was Will & Grace doing it … it just felt like the perfect way.”
As aforementioned, Debra herself has gotten in on the social media campaign, taking to Twitter and responding back to fans.
She has liked dozens of tweets from fans saying she would be the best Lucille.
This kind of shameless endorsement is the energy we all need for 2021.
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You know who agrees with the fans? Valerie Bertinelli, who tweeted that Debra was “robbed.”
I think it’s clear no one thinks Nicole Kidman is a bad actress (she’s Nicole friggin Kidman) but she just isn’t Lucille Ball!
Needless to say, the public has spoken.
I know a lot of people are looking forward to this project, INCLUDING MYSELF, so I really hope they don’t mess this up!
What do you think of the casting? Let us know in the comments below!