Fans were seeing red when Nicole Kidman was cast as Lucille Ball in Aaron Sorkin’s biopic “Being The Ricardos” — but insiders are now predicting that the public will fall in love her take on TV’s legendary Lucy.
Amid the backlash, Kidman has revealed she was terrified taking on the role of the ginger sitcom icon, especially after irate “I Love Lucy” fans argued that Debra Messing would have been a better choice.
The Oscar-winning actress, 54, made the admission during a Q&A in Los Angeles on Saturday night, following a well-received preview screening of the film, which is set for general release on Dec. 10.
“I had massive trepidation about a month prior, and Aaron had to get on the phone and send me emails saying, ‘You’ve got this,’” Kidman confessed, according to Variety.
The “Big Little Lies” legend said Sorkin’s support helped her feel at ease in front of the camera, as she added: “It was frightening but incredibly exciting.”
Meanwhile, Sorkin himself defended his controversial casting choices late last week, telling the Hollywood Reporter: “We made this movie during COVID, and so in Zooming with Nicole and [co-star] Javier Bardem and everyone else, I’d make it very clear to them that I am not looking for a physical or vocal impersonation of these people.”
He added: “I know that Nicole was working on Lucy’s voice for a while, and I wanted to relieve her of that. As far as audience anticipation, that’s something I’m just not worried about. I’m certain that when people see the movie, they’ll leave feeling that Nicole has made a very solid case for herself.”
Indeed, early reception of the film has been overwhelmingly positive, with Kidman earning rave reviews for her role. Critics are even claiming she’ll likely snag a Best Actress Oscar nomination.
“Kidman embodies the essence of Lucille Ball, especially in her mannerisms during the rehearsals and filming of episodes,” Variety editor Clayton Davis wrote. “She very well may break your heart, demanding the viewer’s sympathy and a best actress nomination may seem almost certainly in the cards for her.”
Collider’s Perri Nemiroff concurred, stating: “‘Being The Ricardos’ left me in a puddle of tears. What a beautiful and deeply moving behind-the-scenes look at the pressures and complexities involved in making that show – highs, lows and everything in between. Nicole Kidman is INCREDIBLE.”
TCM host Dave Karger wrote: “Last night’s first big screening of ‘Being The Ricardos’ definitely silenced the skeptics. A 5th Oscar nomination for Nicole Kidman seems especially likely.”
The film follows a week on the set of Ball’s sitcom “I Love Lucy” in the 1950s. The legendary comic appeared on the program opposite her husband, Desi Arnaz. The film is being dubbed as “a revealing glimpse of the couple’s complex romantic and professional relationship, that takes audiences into the writers’ room, onto the soundstage and behind closed doors.”