There has never been a tougher time for both casting directors and stars when it comes to filling certain roles in cinema and TV, and even when common issues of equality and diversity are not in attendance it can still be a minefield. In the upcoming Lucille Ball biopic, Being the Ricardos, Nicole Kidman takes on the role of the I Love Lucy star, with Javier Bardem co-starring as Ball’s husband Desi Arnaz, but recently Kidman revealed that she almost backed out of taking on the role because of backlash over her not looking exactly like the 60s TV icon.

Being the Ricardos is directed by Aaron Sorkin, best known for The West Wing, Molly’s Game and The Trial of the Chicago 7, and in all took five years from conception to getting in front of the camera, with the casting of Kidman as lead being the biggest announcement about the film at the time. The movie itself is a pretty focused affair, depicting a single week in the lives of Ball and Arnaz as they work on I Love Lucy and try to keep the tensions from their marriage out of the production. Being a character-centric piece, much of the Amazon movie’s marketing has been around the two actors in the lead roles, with the likelihood of both being put forward as Oscar contenders.

With the announcement of Kidman’s casting in the role, fans of I Love Lucy and its star immediately voiced their disapproval that Kidman’s resemblance to Lucille Ball is minimal, which led to the usual online outrage that accompanies those kind of comments made in the public arena of social media. However, Sorkin himself was quick to step in and dampen down the cries, pointing out that in telling a biopic, you need actors who can act and not just provide an imitation of the movie’s subject. However, by that time, Kidman has already started to reconsider taking on the role,which she discussed in detail with Live with Kelly and Ryan. She said:

"I wasn't initially. Initially, Aaron Sorkin wrote this screenplay that you read and you cannot put down. 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.' 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. 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."

Of course, we have not yet had the opportunity to see the movie, and while there are always some who are quick to prejudge actors and actresses in their roles it is always worth reserving judgment until after the final product is out there for all to see. With the full production, and Lucille Ball’s daughter Lucie Arnaz all behind Kidman’s casting in the role, there is a good chance that the highly-respected actress will once again prove that her acting skills can outweigh simple appearances. You can check out the full interview below: