Nicole Kidman has said that she tried to abandon playing the role of Lucille Ball in an upcoming film after her casting caused controversy with fans.
The actor plays the legendary Hollywood comedian in Aaron Sorkin’s Being The Ricardos opposite Javier Bardem, who plays husband Desi Arnaz.
However, Kidman’s casting new was met with backlash from fans of Ball, who took to social media to voice their frustration that the actor’s appearance doesn’t suit the part.
Sorkin spoke out in support of Kidman. “The fact of the matter is when Nicole, as Lucille Ball, plays Lucy Ricardo, I think she does an incredible job of mimicking Lucy,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.
Lucille and Desi’s daughter Lucie Arnaz has also praised Kidman’s performance, and even recorded a special message on Instagram after seeing the full film.
“It’s friggin’ amazing,” Lucie said. “That guy [Sorkin] made a great movie.”
Kidman however has said that the backlash made her anxious.
“When the reality of playing her hit me, I went, ‘What I have said yes to?'” she said during a recent appearance on Live With Kelly And Ryan. “To which I then went, ‘Oh no, I’m not right. Everyone thinks I’m not right, so I’m going to try to sidestep this.'”
She then went on to say that the support from the film’s creative team helped to change her mind.
“The producer Todd Black and Aaron Sorkin were both like, ‘Absolutely not,'” she said. “I was in Australia and they were like, ‘No.’ And thank God, because then I was so grateful because I got to fall in love with her.”