Do you know what happened to Lucie Arnaz, the daughter of Lucille Ball? She’s a brilliant actress in her own right and has also worked behind the scenes in the film and television industry.
She’s currently working as an executive producer for an upcoming film called “Lucy and Desi.” This is a biopic that follows the careers of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, who became icons of American entertainment. The film will star Cate Blanchett as Lucille Ball…
But what was Lucie Arnaz’s own career like? And what was it like growing up as the daughter of Lucy and Desi? How did Lucy and Desi become legendary entertainers?
Let’s learn about one of America’s most iconic showbiz families… Join Facts Verse to know about What Happened to Lucie Arnaz, Daughter of Lucille Ball.
LUCY & DESI
Lucie Arnaz was born on July 17, 1951, in Los Angeles. Her parents Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz both established entertainers at this point. Though they hadn’t yet become household names in American entertainment. Let’s take a step back in time and look back at their life…
Lucille Ball predominantly grew up in New York. When she was 12, she performed in a chorus line for a show held for her father’s Shriner’s organization. She loved performing and decided to pursue a career in show business.
Lucille began her acting career in the 1930s when she was in her twenties. She appeared in small roles in major Hollywood productions as well as several B-movies. This included films such as Room Service (with the Marx Brothers), Roberta, Top Hat, Stage Door, and Five Came Back.
By the late 1930s and early 1940s, she had become a well-known actress. So much so, that she portrayed herself in the film Best Foot Forward.
It was in 1940 when Lucille met a Cuban-born bandleader named Desi Arnaz. The two of them were working together on a stage musical called Too Many Girls. They fell in love shortly and married in the same year.
Desi Arnaz was born in Santiago de Cuba in 1917, the son of a mayor and member of Cuba’s House of Representatives. As a child, Desi Arnaz grew up in opulent surroundings and lived a comfortable life on the Caribbean Island. Look back on his childhood, one would never imagine that he’d ever leave Cuba.
But in 1933, a revolution spearheaded by Fulgencio Batista who later became the President of Cuba after overthrowing President Gerardo Machado. Desi’s father briefly jailed, and the family’s wealth confiscated.
Upon his father’s release, the Arnaz family decided to flee Cuba. They moved to Miami and Desi graduated from Saint Patrick Catholic High School. He helped his father in the family’s tile business but also had ambition to pursue a career in entertainment.
Desi began playing music following his high school graduation. He soon started his own orchestra and began a hit in New York’s nightclub scene. His musical talents led to working on stage and films. He acted in the Broadway musical Too Many Girls and then later appeared in the film version which is where he met Lucille Ball. Join Facts Verse to know about What Happened to Lucie Arnaz, Daughter of Lucille Ball.
He continued to pursue his acting career in addition to his musical career. One of his biggest roles was in the film Bataan in which he co-starred with Robert Taylor. He had become so famous that, like Lucille Ball, had a chance to appear as himself in a film!
The film called Cuban Pete and released in 1946. In a future episode of I Love Lucy, Desi would perform a song called “Cuban Pete” alongside Lucille Ball. The song and dance scene remains one of the most popular scenes in the history of the show.
Lucie Arnaz and her brother Desi Jr. were lucky to be born to two talented parents. It’s no wonder that they both grew up to become popular entertainers in their own right.
Before we tell you more about Lucie Arnaz’s life and career, please like this video and subscribe to our channel for more current news and interesting stories. Now, back to the video…
I LOVE LUCY
A few months after Lucie Arnaz was born, the show I Love Lucy premiered on American television.
It was a hilarious sitcom that followed a married couple named Ricky Ricardo and his wife Lucy and their everyday lives. The show was full of hilarious situations, slapstick comedy, witty humor, and reflected the idyllic American life that was typical of other 1950s sitcoms.
This was the show that made them both famous. This was the show that would solidify them as being two of America’s greatest entertainers.
It was in this environment that Lucie Arnaz grew up. She grew up in a talented household with parents who had experience in film, television, stage, and music. Both Lucy and Desi would also work behind the scenes in production as their careers progressed.
It’s no wonder that Lucie Arnaz decided to pursue a career in entertainment… Join Facts Verse to know about What Happened to Lucie Arnaz, Daughter of Lucille Ball.
LUCIE ARNAZ’s CAREER
In the 1960s, Lucille Ball had a follow-up show to I Love Lucy. The show called The Lucy Show and followed widower Lucy Carmichael and her family life in a small town in New York.
Lucie Arnaz began her career with a few walk-on roles in The Lucy Show. Her first debut acting role was in Here’s Lucy. This was Lucille Ball’s third sitcom following the end of The Lucy Show. Lucille Ball acted alongside both her children in this show.
Lucie Arnaz played Kim Carter who was Lucy’s daughter in the show. No doubt, she enjoyed working along with her mother in the show! The sitcom showed that Lucie Arnaz also had incredible acting talents that she’d inherited from her parents.
In the 1970s, she continued acting in television shows and TV movies. She had played Elizabeth Short in the television film Who Is the Black Dahlia? She also appeared in popular TV shows such as Fantasy Island, Murder She Wrote, Marcus Welby MD, Law and Order, and Sons and Daughters.
Like her mother, she became well known on television and soon became a household name. She appeared in a sitcom on her own called The Lucie Arnaz Show, based on the British sitcom Agony. Join Facts Verse to know about What Happened to Lucie Arnaz, Daughter of Lucille Ball.
In the sitcom, she played Dr. Jane Lucas. She was a psychologist who answered questions from her audience through a magazine and through a radio show. The show short-lived and only ran for 6 episodes. Nevertheless, this didn’t stop more opportunities to come her way.
She appeared as a host for a late-night talk show that only lasted for one season. The format for the show was later used for The Rosie O’Donnell Show. She later worked as an executive producer for a documentary on her parent’s careers.
The documentary was called Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie and won Lucie Arnaz an Emmy Award in 1993.
Apart from television, she’s also done occasional film work. Her first role in a feature film was as “Saunders” in Billy Jack Goes To Washington. This was an exciting political thriller and was part of the famous Billy Jack series.
Her other major film role was as Molly in The Jazz Singer. This film became a huge hit and starred Neil Diamond and Sir Laurence Olivier. However, working alongside two legendary entertainers didn’t mean that Lucie Arnaz went unnoticed.
She was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in The Jazz Singer.
One talent that both Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were known for were their musical talents. Both were brilliant at both singing and dancing. These talents were definitely passed down to Lucie as she had an extensive career in theatre, especially in musical theatre.
In 1978, she played the lead role in the musical Annie Get Your Gun. She later played the role of Rita in Educating Rita in 1981. Her other theatre credits including roles in They’re Playing Our Song, My One and Only, Seesaw, The Guardsman, The Wizard of Oz, Lost In Yonkers, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
Her most recent theatre work was in the musical Pippin which she toured in 2014. In 2020, she appeared in an episode of Will & Grace that was heavily inspired by I Love Lucy.
So, what’s Lucie Arnaz been up to lately? She’s currently focused on being the executive producer of a new film about her parents. The film stars Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball and Javier Bardem as Desi Arnaz. The film is currently called Being The Ricardos. It’s also written and directed by Aaron Sorkin!
This is, of course, not the first time that Lucie Arnaz has worked to preserve her parent’s incredible legacy. In addition to her 1993 documentary, she has been involved in other initiatives to preserve her parent’s legacy.
She served on the Board of Directors at the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center in Jamestown, New York – where Lucille Ball was born.
She also appeared on stage for the Lucille Ball Festival of New Comedy in 2012. She’s very proud of her parents and their contributions to American entertainment. We’re eager to see the upcoming film and we’re glad that Lucie Arnaz is doing her bit to promote her parents. We also encourage you to look back at her TV appearances as well as her great film work.
So are you excited for the upcoming film about Lucille Ball?
Do you think that newer generations have an appreciation for Lucy and Desi? Or do we need to promote their work more so that they’re never forgotten?
Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments.
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