Bardem stated that there was a great deal of silence in the room when Kidman, the legendary comedienne, appeared for the first time.
The film stars Kidman and Bardem as Desi Arnaz, Lucille ball and tells the story of their lives together. Bardem stated that first seeing Kidman as the redheaded icon left him speechless.
Bardem said that she was testing the wardrobe, hair and makeup when the woman came in. “And there was silence,” Bardem explained to Sunday TODAY’s Willie Geist. “They really captured the look of Lucy Ricardo.
“And I felt, ‘Well, here’s my wife. Hi. This is your husband. This is your husband, whether you like it, or not,” Bardem laughed.
According to the actor, Kidman and he knew each other only as “Lucy” and “Desi.”
Bardem stated that they didn’t have the time to practice, rehearse, or meet up before shooting. “We had no time to meet Nicole and Javier. “We were right there with Lucy and Desi.”
Bardem stated that he was unaware of the impact “I Love Lucy” had on America because he was born in Spain. He was more interested in Desi Arnaz ‘s role because of his fierce personality.
Bardem stated, “I was instantly drawn into him as someone.” He was a force for nature. He was smart and wise, but he was also a bull. He was unstoppable. He was not only stubborn but he had strong ideals.
Bardem stated that he could relate to Arnaz’s struggles as an immigrant in America. Bardem was born in Spain and Arnaz was brought to America by his family after fleeing Cuba in 1933.
Bardem stated that even though it is different now, it was still difficult back then to be a foreigner. “But there are many things about him that I was attracted to and some of them will ring a bell in the sense that being a foreigner, and knowing what that means, for me.”
Bardem said, “It was a great honor to be able portray him because I felt very in tune with his representations for many reasons.”
“Being The Ricardos” will be in theaters starting Dec. 10. On Dec. 21, it will be streamable on Amazon Prime Video.
