She paired with Desi Arnaz for an unforgettable comedic duo that has remained beloved decades after her death. Here are some facts about the comedic legend that may surprise you.
Lucy and Ethel Were Not BFFs in Real Life
Vivian Vance was the perfect comedic sidekick to her on-screen best friend Lucy (Lucille Ball) on I Love Lucy. It’s well known among fans that Vance hated her co-star, William Frawley, who played her on-screen husband, Fred. However, she and Ball had such great chemistry as friends on-screen that many fans believed the two must’ve been close in real life.
The truth is that Ball and Vance didn’t initially get along. As time went on, they grew more supportive of each other, but they remained competitive and feuded throughout the run of I Love Lucy at different points. It was truly a love/hate relationship.
Lucy and Desi Divorced Before ‘I Love Lucy’ Even Aired
Plenty of I Love Lucy fans know that Ball and Arnaz got divorced in the 1960s after spending 20 years together, but many aren’t aware of the fact that this was actually the second divorce for the couple. Lucy originally filed for divorce not long after the couple married, back in 1944.
That’s right – the classic Hollywood couple actually split up seven years before I Love Lucy premiered. The two ultimately reconciled and stayed married until their final parting in 1960, when Ball finally got fed up with Arnaz’s drinking and philandering behavior.
Lucille was 40 at the Start of ‘I Love Lucy’
Lucy was a groundbreaking star for many reasons, not the least of which was her age. I Love Lucy began when Ball was 40 years old, an age at which actresses are often considered to be “too old,” even today! Her husband and on-screen love interest, Arnaz, was 34 at a time when it was considered taboo for an older woman to be paired with a younger man.
Ball was also famously pregnant on the show, which was considered somewhat shocking at the time. The episode wherein her character gives birth to Little Ricky wound up being the highest-rated episode of the series. She had two children during the show’s run – daughter Lucie Arnaz and son Desi Arnaz, Jr.
Lucy and Desi’s Children are Named After Them
When you hear the full name of Ball’s daughter, you may assume that Lucie Désirée Arnaz was named after both her mother (Lucy) and father (Desi). However, Ball’s middle name was Désirée, named after her mother. So Lucie’s name could’ve been in honor of Ball or Ball’s mother, or both!
One thing is for sure – Lucy and Desi were happy to pass on their names to their children. Their only son was named Desiderio Alberto Arnaz IV, after his father. Despite her years of success in Hollywood and her status as a comedy icon, Ball insisted that her children were her greatest achievements.
Lucy and Desi Frequently Cracked Each Other Up While Filming
Ball and Arnaz were professionals, so they could usually keep from breaking character and laughing when filming scenes that were particularly funny. However, they weren’t completely immune to cracking up, which you can absolutely see while watching certain episodes
Sometimes, you can hear Arnaz’s very distinctive laughter in scenes he’s not even in! That’s because he would frequently stand off-camera to watch filming, and Ball’s antics would hit him so hard that he couldn’t keep it in. Watch a few classic episodes and listen closely, and you’ll probably hear him.
Her Kids are Making an A-List Movie About Her
Lucy and Desi’s two children are in pre-production on a film about their famous parents. With a screenplay that’s being written by Aaron Sorkin, and Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett signed on to play Ball, they are aiming high to make the film a top tier production.
According to Ball’s daughter Lucie, the movie, titled Lucy and Desi, is going to focus on her parents’ unusual love story. It was a complex relationship that lasted longer than their actual marriage, with the two frequently disagreeing on how involved they should be in show business.
‘I Love Lucy’ was Always a Top Three Show
I Love Lucy is iconic and beloved nearly 70 years after its debut, so it might not be too surprising to learn that it was an instant hit. But that’s actually unusual – many other mega-hit TV shows took time to become successful. For example, Cheers ranked among the worst shows on some weeks during its first season. I Love Lucy never had that problem.Lucille Ball’s beloved sitcom never ranked below third place throughout its entire six-year run. It was the number one show in the United States of America within six months of its October 15, 1951 debut. At a time when there were only around 15 million television sets owned in the country, around 11 million of them were tuned into the sitcom.
Ball Became a Recluse
By all accounts, Desi Arnaz was an alcoholic. When he would drink, he would sometimes leave Ball for long periods of time. During this time, she became a virtual recluse in her home. According to The Los Angeles Times, she would not want to deal with society or answer questions from others who wondered about her absent husband.
However, Ball’s tendency to be a recluse wasn’t only related to her complex relationship with Desi. After the failure of her last show Life with Lucy, which also coincided with the year Desi died, Ball allegedly became a bitter recluse until her death in 1989.
Lucy was a High School Dropout
The intelligent actress who propelled herself to stardom by co-creating I Love Lucy and co-founding Desilu Productions never finished her formal education in a traditional way. Like other big stars who would come after her such as John Travolta, Kate Winslet, Katy Perry, and Olivia Newton-John, Lucille Ball dropped out of high school.
Ball moved to New York City at the tender age of 15, where she attended drama school. Things weren’t always easy, and she struggled a lot in her early days in show business, receiving numerous rejections before she finally started landing roles.
She and Desi Remained Close Until Death
For better or worse, Lucy and Desi could certainly push each other’s buttons. That meant they could bring out the best in each other, but also the worst. Although Ball and Arnaz eventually got divorced, friends say they never lost their affection for each other.
Arnaz died in 1986 from lung cancer, while Ball died in 1989 from an acute aortic aneurysm (Aranz died at the age of 69, and Ball lived to be 77). The two had a lot of differences, but their everlasting love and affection for each other stood the test of time even as they moved on with their lives and remarried other people.
Lucy wasn’t Sure She Could Have Children
Many celebrities have spoken openly about the pain of suffering multiple miscarriages in recent years. However, back when Lucille Ball was at the height of her fame, this was not a subject that was openly discussed. Sadly, Ball had multiple miscarriages, and was essentially forced to keep it to herself.
According to People, Ball may have experienced as many as three miscarriages early in her marriage to Desi Arnaz before the couple had their two children, Lucie and Desi Jr. That was understandably very difficult for Lucille, who, according to close friends, was feeling pressured to have children because she believed it would keep her marriage together.
