More than three decades after the death of Hollywood icon Lucille Ball, her life is back in the spotlight with the release of an Oscar-nominated film starring Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem, which retells the story of her romance with husband Desi Arnaz. . But while the couple’s marriage and rise to fame are played out in intimate detail onscreen in Being Ricardo, the story continues far beyond the film’s end credits, namely with their two children, Lucy and Desi Jr. So what? became the children of Lucille and Desi – and how did their parents’ superstardom affect their lives?
Hollywood icon Lucille Ball, best known for her role as Lucy Ricardo on the sitcom I Love Lucy, practically captured everyone’s hearts in the late 1900s. Here she is in the series.
In 1940, the famous actress met Cuban bandleader Desi Arnaz while filming Too Many Girls, and they fell in love instantly. They eloped in November of that year and went on to play husband and wife on I Love Lucy from 1951 to 1957. Here the couple are together in 1944.
I Love Lucy, which ran for six seasons, quickly took over the country, becoming the top-rated show in the United States for four of its six seasons.
Lucille and Desi welcomed two children together – a girl named Lucy Arnaz and a boy named Desi Arnaz Jr. Here Lucille is pictured with her two children in 1954.
Her and her husband’s fame placed their children in the spotlight at a young age, but pressure led to her son developing drug problems. In the photo: Lucy with two children.
Lucille and Desi divorced in May 1960 and she married comedian Gary Morton in 1961. Pictured: Lucille with Gary in 1966.
Lucille and Desi’s marriage was featured in the Oscar-nominated film Being Ricardo. It stars Nicole Kidman as the starlet and Javier Bardem as her ex-husband Desi (pictured).
Pictured: Kidman and Bardem as Lucille and Desi in a new film about their lives.
After the release of the highly successful film, FEMAIL checked on her two children to see what they were up to these days. Here the family is together in 1959.
Like her mother, Lucy also became an actress, making her screen debut in her mother’s I Love Lucy spin-off, The Lucy Show in 1962 (pictured).
After that, she starred in many films and TV series. She also hosted her own talk show and began a career in theater. In the photo: Lucy with her mother and brother Desi.
Pictured: Lucy in 2016.
She married actor Lawrence Luckinbill (pictured) in 1980 and together they had three children over the years – two sons named Simon and Joseph and a daughter named Katherine.
Most recently, she guest-starred on an episode of Will & Grace. She also devotes a lot of time to preserving her mother’s legacy. Pictured: Lucy and Desi Jr. in 2011.
It turns out that Lucille’s children – Lucy and Desi Jr. – were heavily involved in the making of the film, and both were its executive producers. Pictured: Lucy with Nicole during filming.
Lucille got Desi pregnant while filming I Love Lucy, and she made history by playing the first pregnant woman on a CBS show, a storyline that recurs throughout the film. Pictured: the family in 1953.
Like his sister, Desi Jr. started acting at a young age and also landed roles on The Lucy Show and Here Comes Lucy. Pictured: Desi Jr. on The Lucy Show in 1962.
Over the years, he has also appeared in various other major titles such as The Mothers-In-Law, Joyride, To Kill a Cop, Gridlock, Fake-Out and more. Pictured: Desi Jr as a child with his mother Lucy.
Pictured: Desi Jr. in 2007.
In addition to playing, he also played drums for Dino, Desi, & Billy for many years. Pictured: Desi Jr. with the band in 1965.
In 1968, when he was only 15 years old, he and his then-girlfriend Susan Callahan-Howe, a model who was also 15 years old, together welcomed a baby girl named Julia Arnaz. Pictured: Desi Jr. in 1971.
Over the years, he has also been romantically linked to Patty Duke and Liza Minnelli. Pictured: Desi Jr. with Lisa in 1973.
He married a woman named Amy Laura Bargel in 1987 and together they had a daughter, Hailey. Amy unfortunately died of cancer in 2015. Pictured: The couple together in 1995.
Desi has struggled with drug and alcohol addiction due to the pressure he faced to fit in with his mom’s child on the show, Little Ricky. Here he is pictured with his sister Lucy as an infant in 1953.
Eventually, he took part in a recovery program that he says was very supportive of his mom. Here Lucille is pictured with her two children, Lucy and Devi Jr., in 1984. Lucille died on April 26, 1989.