Javier Bardem takes us through the people who helped him to be a Ricardo

All through awards season, Javier Bardem has generously given credit score to 6 coaches in six disciplines — performing, conga, Cuban, English, guitar, singing — who helped him remodel into Desi Arnaz for “Being the Ricardos,” a feat that’s earned him an Oscar nomination.
“Preparation is what I like essentially the most,” he says over a video name just a little greater than 12 hours after the SAG Awards — at which he was a lead actor nominee — and someday earlier than his birthday. “I knew it could be a tough one to realize. And once more, I gave credit score as a result of I’m 53 years outdated tomorrow, and as we grow old, everyone knows we’re nothing with out the opposite. … My job on this film would’ve been completely unattainable with out the work of everybody I’ve talked about.”

Javier Bardem as Desi Arnaz in “Being the Ricardos”

(Glen Wilson/ © 2021 Amazon Content material Providers LLC/Glen Wilson/ © 2021 Amazon Content material Providers LLC)

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In that spirit, The Envelope requested Bardem to say one thing about seven different individuals who had a hand in serving to him carry this function to the display screen.

Aaron Sorkin

He’s the origin of all of it. He’s the person who gave me the pictures, the phrases, the circumstances, the small print, the layers, the journey — the start, the center and the top — which is the whole lot for an actor. However most significantly, [he gave me] the arrogance of letting me know on daily basis, even with out chatting with me, as a result of he’s a person of few phrases — however what phrases! — that he wished me to play that function. He trusted me.

Producer Lucie Arnaz with actress Nicole Kidman on the set of “Being the Ricardos.”

(Glen Wilson/Amazon Studios)

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Lucie Arnaz

Lucie Arnaz gave me, to start with, the room to search out Desi by myself. … As soon as I did my homework and had very particular questions, I reached out to her and she or he was so beneficiant in giving me the whole lot I would want, with out imposing any viewpoint, concept, picture, element or opinion on me. Consider me, she knew far more than I did! It was like, “That is your function. That is your character. You might be Desi now. I might help you wherever you need, however I’m not gonna disturb your course of.”

Lucille Ball

Lucille Ball gave me the mirror — in her performances, her interviews, her biography — to actually see a number of the pictures projected from Desi onto her. However largely what she gave me is the unconditional love she had for him. Even when they separated, even when they divorced, they had been head over heels in love with one another. That was a significant, main function on this film — the unconditional love.

Lucille Ball in 1965.

(CBS Picture Archive/CBS through Getty Photographs)

Desi Arnaz

He gave me his humor. He gave me all these little clues on his performances, on his music numbers, on his voice pitches. What he was telling me — what I feel I heard from him once I was speaking to him, as a result of I used to be speaking to him each night time, thanking him for giving me the possibility to be him — is this concept of, “You might be me as a lot as you will be your self.” That means, “Don’t attempt to obtain being me since you received’t ever have the ability to take action. Simply attempt to be as a lot of your self as you’ll be able to, and you will discover me there.”

Nicole Kidman

She gave me absolutely the belief and confidence to actually play ball together with her. We didn’t know one another. … We met on a Thursday; we had been capturing on a Friday. We didn’t have the possibility to talk. On the primary day, we sat down on a few chairs on the studio lot and we expressed our want to attach via the characters. She was so open, clear, clear, exact on what we needed to do. “We’ve to narrate to one another to any extent further like Lucy and Desi, no matter which means. I belief you and I belief your Desi. I would like you to belief my Lucy.” And we had been like, yeah, there’s no Javier, no Nicole right here. There’s no time for that. As soon as we had been on the set, the whole lot was permitted between us, as a result of if that chemistry didn’t occur, [the movie wouldn’t happen].

Javier Bardem, left, J.Okay. Simmons, Nina Arianda and Nicole Kidman star in “Being the Ricardos.”

(Glen Wilson / Amazon Content material Providers)

Penelope Cruz

She was completely taken by the burden, complexity, humor, love and ache of all of it [in Sorkin’s script]. … Within the unique script, the “Babalu” quantity was not included. She stated to me, “It’s a must to put that within the film, as a result of that vitality — his sensuality, his sexuality, his ardour — you know the way to attach with that.” The second factor she instructed me is, “Now, go on the market and revel in it as a result of this jewel received’t imply something except you take pleasure in it.”

Javier Bardem

There was a number of work [to do] … and I bought completely blocked by it. Fiona McDougal, who is a superb singing voice trainer, was so good and so relaxed about it. Like, “OK, we’d like a number of work, however it’s gonna occur.” I used to be like, OK, that’s the mantra. What I discovered is to be affected person with myself. It’s a must to go step-by-step, line by line, scene by scene, episode by episode. In any other case, you received’t ever get there.

Spanish actor Javier Bardem.

(Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Instances)

One final thought

What it could imply for Bardem to win his second Oscar — for lead, this time — after having received his first supporting statuette 14 years in the past for “No Nation for Previous Males”? “It could make me happier to see Penélope [nominated as lead actress for “Parallel Mothers”] obtain her Oscar. That’s what will make me leap out of my seat.”