PIX11

‘Being the Ricardos,’ Nicole Kidman generate early Oscar buzz

HELL’S KITCHEN, Manhattan — Actress Nicole Kidman is an icon in her own right, and her newest role sees her stepping into the shoes of another showbusiness legend: Lucille Ball.

Ball and her husband, Desi Arnaz, portrayed Lucy and Ricky Ricardo in the iconic, New York-set sitcom “I Love Lucy.” But Kidman’s new film, which she stars in alongside Javier Bardem, showcases a more dramatic look at Ball and Arnaz’s off-screen life.

Kidman and Bardem were on hand at the Manhattan premiere of the biopic “Being the Ricardos,” which chronicles the couple’s behind-the-scenes lives. While viewers will forever remember the slapstick comedy about the zany redhead and her Cuban bandleader husband, the movie chronicles the ongoing tension and differences between the real-life couple.

“[Ball] was very complicated,” Kidman said. “And then her marriage … as much as it didn’t work out, I love that you see what came out of it.”

Acclaimed director and writer Aaron Sorkin, who crafted “Being the Ricardos,” said the movie is about Ball and Arnaz — not Lucy and Ricky.

 “It’s fun to show how much more complicated real life is than ‘I Love Lucy,” Sorkin said.

The film, which is already receiving rave reviews, premieres in theaters on Dec. 10 and will be available on Amazon Prime on Dec. 21.