By now, it’s obvious that Lucille Ball was an incredible woman, with a natural talent that came from an early age. In fact, she was only 12 years old when she auditioned for her first role.
It was a role in a chorus line for a small stage production, and her stepfather was the one who encouraged her. Obviously, she got the part, and this was to become the first role of her wildly successful show business career.
She Was a True Workaholic
When Lucille first retired, she enjoyed the time off. She didn't see herself working past the "I Love Lucy" show and originally thought she'd be done with Hollywood long before "Here's Lucy." But, the iconic actress just couldn't quit. It's hard when you get used to doing something for so long and no longer being able to do it, especially when you are as passionate as Lucille Ball was.
But, a veteran actress like herself understood when it was time to call it quits, time to take a bow and be thankful for her long and successful career. Lucy knew that her time had come to hang up her hat and coat. Although she was still America's most respected television icon, she knew that it was her time to step away and make room for the up and coming actors of the next generation. She last appeared publicly at the Academy Awards, pictured above, in 1989.
Always a legend
Ultimately, Ball found comfort in the consistency of retirement. Her husband, George Morton, was at her beckoning call when she needed something or was feeling down. She had the support and love of her children and her grandchildren. There was nothing more that she truly needed. Plus, she had amazing memories of the years in which she graced our television. On February 8, 1960, Ball was awarded two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: one for her contributions to motion pictures, and the other for television.
Lucille Ball forever changed television. It's hard to imagine what television would be like today without having been influenced by her. What Ball did is not repeatable. She especially paved the way for female comedians and actresses, but also for women in business and production. She is a leading example of what it means to believe in yourself and chase your dreams. She passed away in 1989 at the age of 77. She left behind a legacy of comedy and her humorous and joyful persona lives on. The effervescent redhead made everyone in America laugh for years. But she was more than just a funny woman. She was a television pioneer whose artistic and business decisions shaped pop culture.
The First Woman to Run a Big Hollywood Studio
Lucille Ball wasn’t just the first woman to ever run a major Hollywood studio, she was the first to buy out her shares for $2.5 million, making her the first woman to ever be CEO of a massive production company. The first studio she ever ran was one she formed with her husband in 1950, named Desilu (a mix of both their names), and then she bought out her shares after they divorced 10 years later.
Desilu is the one who brought Mission: Impossible, The Untouchables, Star Trek, and of course, I Love Lucy to the small screen. And to top it all off, Lucille sold those shares some years later to Paramount Studios, for the tune of $17 million. Her last major venture was in 1967 when she founded Lucille Ball Productions.
She Defied Ageism and Set a New Precedent
Lucille Ball turned 40 before I Love Lucy even went on the air! That was unheard of in a time when no big Hollywood actress, or any actress, for that matter, was even considered for a part if she was over 35 years old.
Ball defied ageist film moguls and set a new precedent for women, making the world understand that talent is ageless.