Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem on Being the Ricardos and How They Prepare for a Big Scene

With writer-director Aaron Sorkin’s Being the Ricardos now playing in select theaters and streaming on Prime Video, I recently got to speak with Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem about playing Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. During the interview, they both talked about why this was such a challenging shoot, if they were nervous to play these roles, how they each like to prepare for a challenging or emotional scene, how Bardem chased the role, and more. In addition, Kidman talks about how this was the hardest role she’s ever had in her career. If you haven’t seen the trailers, Being the Ricardos dramatizes an intense week for Lucille and Desi as they enter production on an episode of their hit sitcom I Love Lucy in 1952 — from the table read to the taping — while off-screen drama threatens to engulf their personal lives. While the drama that happens in the movie is true, it didn’t all happen in the same week. Sorkin has previously explained how he came to this storyline: “The only thing bette