Debra Messing Says She’s Available to Play Lucille Ball in the I Love Lucy Biopic

Debra Messing seems to agree with I Love Lucy fans over Nicole Kidman portraying Lucille Ball in Being the Ricardos. The Will & Grace actress now says, she’s “available” to take over on the role. It was announced last week that Kidman is going to play the iconic comedian in the upcoming biopic, and social media exploded. Fans of Ball flat out do not want Kidman to star in Aaron Sorkin’s movie and want Messing to take over.

It appears that Debra Messing isn’t into the Nicole Kidman casting either. One fan asked Messing on social media if she was “unavailable” to star in Being the Ricardos, to which she responded, “Oh no, I’m available.” Messing previously played Lucille Ball in an episode of Will & Grace, which impressed everybody and fulfilled a childhood dream of hers. Messing became Ball and clearly enjoyed emulating one of her biggest comedy influences on the small screen.

RELATED: Fans React to Nicole Kidman Casting in I Love Lucy Biopic, They Want Debra Messing Instead

While Debra Messing had played Lucille Ball before, in an interview from 2020, she stated that she would not be interested in repeating the process for another project. At the time, Debra Messing said she, “would not even touch” offers to play the legendary comedian in a movie because she is simply “untouchable.” However, a lot has changed in a year. When asked about the interview on social media, Messing stated, “Ummmmmm, I changed my mind,” adding a winking emoji. The actress is certainly interested in taking on the role in Aaron Sorkin’s Being the Ricardos, so it will be interesting if this situation turns into a major fancasting.

I Love Lucy fans were brutally honest about their feelings when they learned that Nicole Kidman is starring in Being the Ricardos. One fan stated, “Seriously. Pick up the goddamn phone and call Debra Messing right f***ing now.” Another fan took another route and noted, “Lucille Ball was all about comedic, almost elastic, facial expressions. And while Nicole Kidman is multi-talented and beautiful, she… well… can’t move her face.” This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to fan reactions on social media, some of which even attacked Kidman’s looks and acting ability.

As of this writing, Nicole Kidman will play Lucille Ball in Being the Ricardos alongside Javier Bardem, who will play Desi Arnaz. I Love Lucy fans were also not into the idea of Bardem taking on the role of Arnaz, with many calling on Oscar Isaac to take over instead. The biopic is all set to tell the story of a week behind-the-scenes of making the iconic sitcom, which finds Arnaz and Ball facing a crisis that could end their marriage, and another that could end their careers. A production start has not been announced, and neither has a release date. You can check out Debra Messing’s official Twitter response to taking over for Nicole Kidman above.

Topics: I Love Lucy