Lucie Arnaz
learned lessons well

By Rita Charleston
For the Times

Even though her parents have been gone for some time, their daughter has never forgotten the wisdom they bestowed upon her.
"My mother was wonderful in that she never told me I couldn’t do something. Just the opposite," this daughter says. "She always told me I could do anything I set my mind to. And, you know, that’s a great gift to give your child.
"And my father had a wonderful saying, which was, ‘If you truly believe in something and just keep following your dreams, there must be a way to do it.’"
That’s Lucie Arnaz, talking about her famous parents, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. "But maybe the greatest thing of all my parents ever gave me was not giving me everything I wanted," she added. "Being a mother myself, I know there’s a lot of guilt involved in being an actor because you travel a lot, work a lot, the hours are terrible, and you often don’t get to make it to the kids’ plays at school.
"I think in order to make up for that, many parents in Hollywood give things to their kids instead of giving them quality time."
Arnaz is coming to town to perform with Peter Nero and the Philly Pops at the Kimmel Center. The shows — on March 2, 5 and 7-9 — will highlight Arnaz’s renditions of Broadway music as well as her anecdotes of life with her famous parents, who died within three years of each other in the late 1980s.
During a recent phone chat, she remembered how they tried to maintain a normal lifestyle for their two children, Lucie and her brother Desi Jr. The youngsters were expected to earn their way in life.
"Not to say that they were misers, but they weren’t afraid to hold a tight rein on us. They gave us a normal allowance and told us that even if we were on TV, we still had to brush our teeth," Arnaz said.
And that, she added, is a great legacy given to her and brother Desi, and one she has passed on to her own offspring — three children with her husband of 27 years, Laurence Luckinbill, and her stepchildren.
Lucie Desiree Arnaz was born in 1951 and got her first acting experience when she played the daughter of her mother’s character, Lucy Carmichael Carter, on The Lucy Show from 1968-74.
When the show folded, Arnaz headed for the Big Apple and first appeared in Seesaw. She also starred in Annie Get Your Gun, and finally landed her big Broadway break in Neil Simon’s They’re Playing Our Song.
She also starred in the American premiere of Educating Rita and the national tour of Whose Life Is It Anyway?, among other stage shows, before going on to appear opposite Tommy Tune in the international company of My One And Only. Her film credits include The Jazz Singer, with Neil Diamond, and most recently she was in the TV series Sons and Daughters.
She’s also the recipient of a number of prestigious awards, including the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award, Theater World Award, Outer Critic’s Circle Award, and Chicago’s Distinguished Sarah Siddons Award.
And while she continues to work hard and enjoys spending time with her children, who are grown and off on their own, she still remembers her parents’ advice and is happy to pass it along to them as some timely advice of her own.
"The major advice I have given my children is that you try to do something in life that makes you happy, something that makes you want to get out of bed in the morning. If you can say you love your job — and mean it — then you never feel as though you’ve worked a day in your life," Arnaz said. "I feel that way. I think Larry does too.
"I know my parents felt that way," she added. "So if what you choose to do doesn’t hurt anybody else, it’s all right with me. As long as you can support yourself, then I’ve given you roots and wings." ••
For performance and ticket information for the Kimmel engagement, call 215-893-1999.