Nicole Kidman Almost Quit Her Role in 'Being the Ricardos' Due to Backlash

Nicole Kidman is one of the greatest talents the film industry has ever seen. In addition to starring in several iconic films, such as Moulin Rouge, Eyes Wide Shut, Bombshell, and The Others, her work in The Hours earned her the Oscar for Best Actress. But not all reviews of an actor's projects are positive which can often undermine their confidence.

Kidman nearly gave up playing Lucille Ball in Being the Ricardos, directed by Aaron Sorkin. The criticism on social media was so great that the star almost left the project. She revealed this during an interview with Live with Kelly and Ryan last week.

“I wasn't [anxious] 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,'" she revealed.

The controversy began when the first images of the film were posted on the Internet and fans didn't like the choice. And then an avalanche of critics began to flood social media, pointing out that actress Debra Messing would be the perfect choice for this role. But soon after that, the director and producer finally managed to convince her to stay on the film. 

"The producer Todd Black and Aaron Sorkin were both like, 'Absolutely not,'" Kidman continued. "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."