Having had walk-on roles on her mother's previous television series The Lucy Show, Arnaz made her acting debut in a major role in the series Here's Lucy from 1968 to 1974. She played Kim Carter, the daughter of the eponymous Lucy, her mother.[8]
Arnaz also had a short-lived series of her own, The Lucie Arnaz Show, on CBS in 1985. The reviewer for The New York Times described the show as "the always ingratiating Miss Arnaz as a psychologist who not only writes an advice column, but also takes calls from listeners on her own radio program."[14][15][16]
Another eponymous series, this one a late-night-style talk show, aired for one season from 1995 to 1996. It was unsuccessful, but The Rosie O'Donnell Show would use the same format a year later to much greater success, prompting Arnaz's agent to pitch a revival that would not be picked up.[17]
Arnaz won an Emmy Award in 1993 for Outstanding Informational Special for her documentary about her parents, Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie.[18][19][20][21]
Theatreedit
Arnaz has had a lengthy career in musical theatre. In June 1978 she played the title role in Annie Get Your Gun at the Jones Beach Theatre on Long Island, New York.[22] This was the first production at Jones Beach Theatre after the death of longtime producer Guy Lombardo.[23] In 1981, she played the lead female role in Educating Rita at The Cape Playhouse in Dennis, Massachusetts.[24][25]
In 2010, Arnaz performed (along with Raúl Esparza and Valarie Pettiford) in and directed Babalu: A Celebration of the Music of Desi Arnaz and his Orchestra. A Miami, Florida performance was given in July 2010.[41]
She toured in Pippin in 2014, playing the role of Berthe, the title character's grandmother.[42] She appeared on Broadway in Pippin, from October 9, 2014, to November 9, 2014.[43][44]
Filmedit
Arnaz made feature-film appearances, including The Jazz Singer (1980) in which she co-starred with Neil Diamond and Laurence Olivier.[45] She earned a nomination for the 1981 Golden Globe Award, Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture.[46] She also appeared in the 1982 comedy drama One More Try opposite her future husband, Lawrence Luckinbill.
Other worksedit
Arnaz was a Trustee on the Board of The American Theatre Wing for 15 years (1999–2014).
In October 2008, Arnaz and longtime family friend, Hollywood columnist and Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne participated in a tribute to Arnaz's mother, Lucille Ball, at the Paley Center For Media in New York City.[47] The program, "Lucie and Lucy: Lucie Arnaz Shares Treasures From The Family Video Collection", included a discussion between Osborne and Arnaz about Ball, and also focused on Ball's last long-running series, Here's Lucy (which was celebrating its 40th anniversary), as well as several of Ball's television specials and guest appearances during the 1970s, which Arnaz had recently donated to the Paley Center for Media.
Preserving Lucille Ball's legacyedit
From about 2002 to 2007, Arnaz was the president of the board of directors of the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center in Jamestown, New York. She resigned over a dispute with the executive director over the future direction of the Center.[48][49]
Arnaz appeared live on stage in Jamestown at the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts on August 3, 2012, to promote the Lucille Ball Festival of New Comedy in which new comedians are invited to perform. She gave tribute to both her parents and expressed a desire to further expand the Festival of New Comedy and expand the Jamestown, New York, Lucy Fest. Comedians who performed at the 2012 Festival of New Comedy included Billy Gardell, Paula Poundstone and Tammy Pescatelli.[50][51][52] She gave the history behind the Lucy-Desi Museum and Lucy-Desi Playhouse, and the 2011 birthday centenary for Lucille Ball (which was recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest number of people dressed like Lucille Ball in one place at one time).
At that time, Arnaz announced intent to start using the recently renovated Jamestown Train Station to further the mission and vision of the Lucille Ball Festival of New Comedy. Lucie Arnaz praised and appeared on stage with the new executive director of the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center and applauded her work and dedication to the festival. This work culminated in the opening of the National Comedy Center in Jamestown on August 1, 2018.[53]
In 2021, Arnaz, along with her brother, served as an executive producer of the biopic Being the Ricardos, a film written and directed by Aaron Sorkin focusing on her parents' professional and personal relationship during the time of I Love Lucy.[54]
Arnaz and Luckinbill have three children: Simon, Joseph and Katharine Luckinbill.[58] Luckinbill also has two sons from his previous marriage: Nicholas and Benjamin Luckinbill.
Arnaz attended an all-girls Catholic high school, mainly because of its drama program.[58] She is a member of Unity.[59]
^"Lucie Arnaz Broadway"
playbillvault.com, accessed December 5, 2015
^Monush, Barry (June 1, 2011). Lucille Ball FAQ: Everything Left to Know About America's Favorite Redhead. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-55783-940-4.
^ ab"Lucie Arnaz Biography (1951–)" filmreference.com. Retrieved on November 12, 2011
^"Lucille Ball Biography, Encyclopedia of Television" Archived January 26, 2017, at the Wayback Machine museum.tv, accessed December 8, 2015
^Wire Services. "Southland : Family Bids Lucy a Private Farewell" Los Angeles Times, May 1, 1989
^Heckman, Don. "Arnaz the actress – in a show that sings" Los Angeles Times, November 11, 2004
^Zeigler, Todd. "Lucie Arnaz Brings Musical Legacy To Silks In The Bluegrass" The Voice-Tribune, April 17, 2014
^"Lucie Arnaz Overview" tcm.com, accessed December 5, 2015
^"'Who Is the Black Dahlia?' Overview" tcm.com, accessed December 3, 2015
^"'Who Is the Black Dahlia?' Overview" The New York Times, December 9, 2015
^scottnj1966 (March 6, 2014). "Space Mountain Grand Opening Celebration 1975 "Welcome to the World"" – via YouTube.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^"'Fantasy Island: Anniversary; Reunion' (TV)" paleycenter.org, accessed December 4, 2015
^ abZurawik, David. "'Sons and Daughters' goes from bad to worse" Baltimore Sun, January 4, 1991
^O'Connor, John J. "2 Sitcoms: 'Lucie Arnaz' And 'Hail to the Chief'", The New York Times, April 9, 1985, p. C16, ISSN 0362-4331
^Margulies, Lee. "Lucie Throws Her Series Into The Ratings Ring" Los Angeles Times, April 17, 1985
^Margulies, Lee. "'Jeffersons' Out Of CBS Lineup" Los Angeles Times, May 8, 1985
^"Oh, Mama, another talker looms in Vicki's future". Daily News. July 5, 1996. Archived from the original on August 22, 2017. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
^"'Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie' Overview" tcm.com, accessed December 3, 2015
^Dunne, Susan. "Lucie Arnaz To Present 'Lucy And Desi: A Home Movie'" Hartford Courant, May 22, 2013
^King, Susan. "Retro : Lucy's Candid Camera : Documentary Shows Revealing Footage of Ball and Arnaz, Family and Friends" Los Angeles Times, February 14, 1993
^Marin, Rick (February 11, 1993). "Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie". Variety.com. Variety.
^Shepard, Richard F. "Annie Get Your Gun Presented at Jones Beach Theater" The New York Times, July 3, 1978
^"Jones Beach Theatre History" limusichalloffame.org, accessed December 3, 2015
^Klein, Alvin. "Theater. A Rip-Roaring 'Annie Get Your Gun'" The New York Times, May 31, 1987
^"Summer Theater Circuit" The New York Times, August 21, 1981
^"Winners and Nominees : Lucie Arnaz". GoldenGlobes.com. Golden Globe Awards. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
^The Paley Center announcement: Tuesday, October 28; 6:30 pm; Panelist: Lucie Arnaz; Moderator: Robert Osborne, Host, Turner Classic Movies.)"2008 Annual Report. Lucie & Lucy: Lucie Arnaz Shares Treasures From the Family Video Collection. p. 17" paleycenter.org, accessed December 4, 2015
^"Jamestown Update: Morris Resigns". Lucyfan.com. January 4, 2002. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
^O'Shei, Tim. "New leadership at Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center looks to turn it into National Comedy Center" Buffalo News, March 8, 2014
^(No Author). "Tammy Pescatelli Joins Lucy Comedy Fest Line-up" Archived December 28, 2017, at the Wayback Machine lucycomedyfest.com, accessed December 4, 2015
^Cadle, Jessie, "Jamestown's Lucy Fest tickles the funny bone" The Chautauquan Daily, August 1, 2012
^"AUDIO: Lucille Ball Festival of Comedy Begins Today" WRFA, August 1, 2012
^Goodman, Stephanie (August 3, 2018). "Nation Comedy Center Opens". New York Times. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
^"Lucie Arnaz, daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, says 'Being the Ricardos' is 'freakin' amazing'".