Lucille Ball’s Granddaughter On Her Favorite Memories Of Her Late 'Nana'

Apr 28, 2021

When people hear the name, Lucille Ball, they usually think of the star of the “I Love Lucy” television series. For Kate Luckinbill-Conner, she thinks of her beloved “Nana.” Ball was married to Desi Arnaz for 20 years, and in that time they had two children. One son, Desi Jr., and a daughter, Lucie Arnaz, who is Luckinbill-Conner’s mother. 

The show “I Love Lucy” debuted in 1951 and lasted for six seasons. It was a sitcom about a young middle-class family who was played by the real-life couple, Ball and Arnaz. In the show, Arnaz plays Ricky Ricardo, a nightclub owner and bandleader. Ball portrays Lucy Ricardo, a fun-loving housewife that often gets herself into hijinks along with her best friend, Ethel.

In 1953, Ball won the Primetime Emmy Award for Best Comedienne for her role as Lucy Ricardo. She would then go on to be the recipient of many other awards and tributes. She is known as a comedic legend and an icon for women leading in a male-dominated industry and is remembered for her incredible contribution to television history. Ball passed away in 1989 at the age of 77. 

Luckinbill-Conner spoke with Today and shared some of her favorite memories of her grandmother and honored her legacy as one of the greatest leading ladies in Hollywood. Luckinbill-Conner said this about her grandmother, "She was honest to a fault. Some people took that as tough. Some people took it as feminism. But it wasn't, really. She was a regular American girl who had big dreams and no idea how to accomplish them."

Luckinbill-Conner reminisced about the time she spent with her grandmother as a young girl. She said to Today, "We used to sit and watch 'Inspector Gadget' together, and she would give me Oreos and milk and just sit behind me and play backgammon, and just keep me company." Luckinbill-Conner was just 4-years-old when her grandmother passed away.

According to her granddaughter’s memories, Ball seems like she was a very loving and attentive grandmother. Luckinbill-Conner also said this about her, "She was really involved in my life at that time, I guess she was really happy to have another little girl. She would wrap my little tufts of hair in these curlers and put me in silk pajamas.” It is wonderful to know how involved Ball was with her family.

Luckinbill-Conner also shared, “I'd have these wonderful, luxurious bubble baths. And I would sleep in her giant California king-sized bed. She would be there for all of that. She loved being a grandma. She finally had time to be the mom that she really, really dreamed of being from the beginning. She wasn't so busy anymore." It sounds like Ball finally got to be the mother she always wanted once she had more time to focus on her family.

The show “I Love Lucy” has been beloved by audiences for generations. It was the most-watched show in America for four of its six seasons. Luckinbill-Conner shared what the show’s reception means to her. She said, "There are family, generational connections, now to watching this show together — that's the thing that really gets me. That's the thing that really makes me want to continue carrying the torch."

Family has always been important to the Ball and Arnaz family. Luckinbill-Conner said this about her grandparents, "My grandparents didn’t set out to change television. They wanted to have a family. They wanted to remain being a family. I think that's really important to remember as part of their history because it allows us all to remember we can all have families and work if we support each other in that. If we are together in us all wanting that balance, then we can find it."

Lucie Arnaz made a post on her Instagram account that gives some insight into an upcoming film about “I Love Lucy.” The caption said, “This film takes place almost entirely behind the scenes of ‘I Love Lucy’, in the real lives of the people involved with the show, off the set and off the studio lot, during that same time period. The title, ‘Being The Ricardo’s’, is a clever play on words that you will understand after you see what Aaron Sorkin has written.” 

She also shared on her Facebook account this message about the film, "Aaron has done a wonderful job of bringing these characters to life, and it's just a little... slice of life in their journey. It's not the whole story. It's not a biopic from cradle to grave. It is a two-hour feature film about these two people and some of the remarkable things they lived through.” The film sounds quite exciting, and it looks like something that fans of the show won’t want to miss!

Do you know someone who is a fan of "I Love Lucy"? Tell them about this story and tell us what you think of Lucille Balls' granddaughter's memories of her Nana.