Aaron Sorkin’s I Love Lucy drama is moving forward with the bizarre duo of Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem as Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez. Now the movie, titled Being the Ricardos, has cast two other key roles with the additions of Oscar winner JK Simmons and Tony Award winner Nina Arianda as Fred and Ethel.
THR reports Simmons will play William Frawley, the actor who played Fred Mertz on I Love Lucy. Arianda is in talks to play Vivian Vance, who played Ethel. Fred and Ethel are the married couple who befriend Lucy and Ricky in their New York City apartment complex.
Sorkin’s film will follow a week of production on I Love Lucy, as Lucille and Desi face challenges that could end their careers and their marriage. The structure is similar to Steve Jobs, which Sorkin also wrote, in that it’s broken down into chapters telling a fictional story encapsulating real-life events.
This will be Sorkin’s third film behind the camera, having made his debut with Molly’s Game, and the current awards-contender The Trial of the Chicago 7. He had been planning to simply write this film back when Cate Blanchett was attached, but changed his mind after his recent successes.
Simmons was most recently seen in Palm Springs, while Arianda’s latest film was 2019’s Richard Jewell. She also has a recurring role on HBO’s Billions. Filming on Being the Ricardos begins in April.
