Cate Blanchett Discusses Turning Down Being The Ricardos' Lucille Ball Role

screenrant.com:

Acclaimed actress and multi-time Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett has opened up about her decision to turn down the role of Lucille Ball in Aaron Sorkin’s Being the Ricardos. Having worked with some of the biggest filmmakers in cinema, it would seem that a star of Blanchett’s calibre would relish the opportunity to play Ball, the iconic American comedian who broke new ground throughout her extensive career that spanned over 50 years. That wasn’t to be the case, however, as the Ball role eventually went to Blanchett's fellow Australian Oscar-winner, Nicole Kidman.

While Ball’s success came during an era of American history that is now long gone, her fame and legacy continues to impact new generations of fans. As one of the few women of her day to break down Hollywood barriers that were seldom challenged, Ball inspired countless numbers of women within Hollywood as well as those struggling to make it in a very male-dominated film and TV landscape. Her marriage to Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem) in 1940 fell well outside the bounds of what was considered normal for a Hollywood star of the time, with racism against the Cuban Arnaz very much a factor in his struggle to find work. When it came time to cast the role of her husband in the iconic I Love Lucy TV series, Ball fought to have Arnaz hired and ultimately succeeded, despite considerable reluctance from CBS.

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As Being the Ricardos continues to garner a mixed bag of reviews, the decision to cast Kidman as Ball has been questioned by some. Obviously finding the right actress to portray one of the biggest names in film and television history isn’t an easy task, and for a while, Blanchett was being pursued for the role.