Lucie Arnaz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lucie Arnaz
Arnaz in 2013
Born	Lucie Désirée Arnaz (1951-07-17) July 17, 1951 (age 73) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress singer
Years active	1962–present
Spouse(s)	Philip Vandervort Menegaux ​ ​ (m. 1971; div. 1976)​ Laurence Luckinbill ​ ​ (m. 1980)​
Children	3
Parent(s)	Desi Arnaz Lucille Ball
Relatives	Desi Arnaz Jr. (brother) Fred Ball (maternal uncle) Desiderio Alberto Arnaz II (paternal grandfather)
Musical career
Genres	Jazz Latin music
Instruments	Vocals percussion

Lucie Désirée Arnaz (born July 17, 1951) is a talented American actress and singer. She is famous for being the daughter of two legendary actors, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Lucie has had a long career in television, movies, and especially on stage.

Early Life and Family

Lucie Arnaz was born in Los Angeles, California. Her parents were the well-known actors Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. She also has a brother, Desi Arnaz Jr., who is also an actor.

When she was about 10 years old, Lucie lived in New York City for a few years. She went to St. Vincent Ferrer School with her brother. Later, she attended the Roman Catholic Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles.

Lucie Arnaz's Career

Starting in Television

Arnaz, her mother Lucille Ball and her brother Desi Jr., in Here's Lucy, 1968

Lucie Arnaz began her acting career with small roles on her mother's TV show, The Lucy Show. Her first big role was in the series Here's Lucy, which ran from 1968 to 1974. On the show, she played Kim Carter, the daughter of the main character, Lucy. Her real-life mother, Lucille Ball, played Lucy.

After Here's Lucy, Lucie started taking on other TV roles. In 1975, she appeared in an NBC TV movie called Who Is the Black Dahlia?. She also starred in a special for The Wonderful World of Disney. This special celebrated the opening of Space Mountain at Walt Disney World in Florida. In 1978, she was on an episode of Fantasy Island. Over the years, she has appeared in many popular TV shows. These include Murder, She Wrote, Marcus Welby, M.D., Sons and Daughters, and Law & Order.

Lucie Arnaz also had her own TV show called The Lucie Arnaz Show in 1985. She played a psychologist who wrote an advice column and hosted a radio show. She also had a late-night talk show from 1995 to 1996.

In 1993, Lucie won an Emmy Award. She received it for a documentary she made about her parents, called Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie.

Performing on Stage

Arnaz in 1988

Lucie Arnaz has had a very successful career in musical theatre. In 1978, she played the main role in Annie Get Your Gun in New York.

She made her big debut on Broadway in 1979 in the musical They're Playing Our Song. For this role, Lucie won the Theatre World Award. She also won the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Actress in a Musical. In 1986, she won the Sarah Siddons Award for her tour with Tommy Tune in the musical My One and Only.

Lucie has performed in many other plays and musicals. These include Seesaw, Whose Life Is It Anyway?, and The Witches of Eastwick in London. She also appeared in Neil Simon's Lost in Yonkers and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels on Broadway.

In 2010, Lucie performed and directed a show called Babalu. It celebrated the music of her father, Desi Arnaz, and his orchestra. In 2014, she toured and performed on Broadway in the musical Pippin. She played the role of Berthe, the main character's grandmother.

Appearing in Films

Lucie Arnaz has also acted in several movies. In 1980, she co-starred with Neil Diamond and Laurence Olivier in The Jazz Singer. For this role, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 1981. She also appeared in the 1982 movie One More Try.

Other Important Work

Lucie Arnaz was a Trustee on the Board of The American Theatre Wing for 15 years. This organization supports theatre in the United States.

In 2008, Lucie and family friend Robert Osborne honored her mother, Lucille Ball. They shared stories and videos from the family's collection at the Paley Center For Media in New York City.

Keeping Her Parents' Legacy Alive

Lucie Arnaz has worked hard to preserve the memory of her famous parents. From 2002 to 2007, she was the president of the board for the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center in Jamestown, New York.

In 2012, Lucie spoke at the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts in Jamestown. She promoted the Lucille Ball Festival of New Comedy. This festival invites new comedians to perform. She talked about her parents and her wish to make the festival even bigger. She also shared the history of the Lucy-Desi Museum. In 2011, the museum helped set a Guinness World Record for the most people dressed like Lucille Ball in one place!

Lucie Arnaz also announced plans to use the renovated Jamestown Train Station. This would help the mission of the Lucille Ball Festival of New Comedy. Her efforts helped lead to the opening of the National Comedy Center in Jamestown in 2018.

In 2021, Lucie and her brother were executive producers for the movie Being the Ricardos. This film, directed by Aaron Sorkin, focused on her parents' lives during their time on I Love Lucy.

Personal Life

Lucie Arnaz was married to Philip Vandervort Menegaux from 1971 to 1976. In 1980, she married actor and writer Laurence Luckinbill. Lucie and Laurence live in Palm Springs, California.

They have three children together: Simon, Joseph, and Katharine. Laurence also has two sons from a previous marriage. Lucie went to an all-girls Catholic high school because of its strong drama program. She is a member of Unity.

Filmography

Television

Source: Archive of American Television:

Stage

• Once Upon a Mattress (Kenley Players, 1973)
• Seesaw (tour, 1974)
• Vanities (Los Angeles, 1976)
• Bye Bye Birdie (The Melody Top, 1977)
• Annie Get Your Gun (Jones Beach Theater, NY, 1979)
• They're Playing Our Song (Broadway, 1979)
• My One and Only (tour, 1986)
• Lost in Yonkers (Broadway, 1992)
• Wonderful Town (California, 1997 and 1999)
• Master Class (New Hampshire, 1999)
• The Witches of Eastwick (London, 2000)
• Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Broadway, 2006)
• Pippin (Broadway and tour, 2014)

See Also

In Spanish: Lucie Arnaz para niños