Nicole Kidman Tried to Step Back From ‘Being the Ricardos’ After Lucille Ball Casting Backlash

Nicole Kidman‘s performance as Lucille Ball in Being the Ricardos is set to launch around the country next week, but she almost didn’t go through with the film. While visiting Live with Kelly and Ryan today, the Australian actress revealed that an overwhelming amount of backlash towards the casting news almost led to her quitting the role entirely.

Being the Ricardos follows Ball and her husband/co-star Desi Arnaz (played by Javier Bardem) while they deal with a crisis that could end their careers and their marriage. As she began training for the role, however, Kidman faced her own crisis.

“Were you anxious about taking the role?” Kelly Ripa asked Kidman.

“I wasn’t initially. Initially, Aaron Sorkin wrote this screenplay that you read and you cannot put down,” Kidman said. “I say to people: If you can get your hands on this screenplay, read it because it’s such a good read. It’s as good as a great novel.”

But then, the “reality of playing her hit” Kidman, with a wave of doubts rushing over the actress. Worried about her ability to faithfully portray the icon, she took it up with her higher ups.

“I went, ‘What have I said yes to?’ — to which I then went, ‘Oh no, I’m not right. Everyone thinks I’m not right so I’m going to try to sidestep this,’ ” she said. “And the producer Todd Black and Aaron Sorkin were both like, ‘Absolutely not.’ I was in Australia and they were like, ‘No.’ And thank god, because then I was so grateful because I got to fall in love with her.”

Director Aaron Sorkin has been outspoken about the casting backlash Being the Ricardos has caused, opening up about the decision last month in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

“What I needed was someone who absolutely owns it,” Sorkin said of casting Kidman. “And you’re going to choose from a small pool of world-class actresses. This isn’t for beginners, as Lucy says. This was going to be a kind of tour de force performance. And then when Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem and J.K. Simmons and Nina Arianda say they want to do your movie, your casting search is over.”

Being the Ricardos debuts in theaters on Dec. 10 and on Prime Video starting Dec. 21.