Nicole Kidman is on the phone in her old home country of Australia, where she has added a few weeks of vacation after the Christmas holidays.

It's quite late in Germany, breakfast time for her.

"Sorry about the time," the fifty-four-year-old apologizes, referring to her husband, country singer Keith Urban, and their two daughters.

“But at the moment I only have time for interviews in the mornings;

the rest of the day is family.”

The reason for the conversation is Kidman's current film "Being the Ricardos", which has been showing on Prime Video for a few weeks and tells the story of the life of the American actress and entertainer Lucille Ball, who lives alongside her husband Desi Arnaz (played by Javier Bardem ) became America's biggest sitcom star in the 1950s with her own series "I Love Lucy".

The series is still running on television there in perpetual repetitions today.

Ms. Kidman, in your current film "Being the Ricardos" you play Lucille Ball - a television legend in the USA but hardly known in Germany.

Growing up in Australia yourself, how familiar were you with ball?

I was not much different than you in Germany.

We did have repeats of the series in Australia, but I can't say I've watched it that often.

I was familiar with the name Lucille Ball and knew who she is.

But I didn't know her actual life story, nor did I really know about her pop-cultural significance.

What fascinates you about the biography?

On the one hand, of course, the marriage to her first husband, Desi Arnaz, who came from Cuba.

They became famous together, a woman and an immigrant, that was sensational for the 1950s.

And they didn't just stand in front of the camera, they founded their own company, which produced the series and was one of the most successful companies in Hollywood for years.

Artists didn’t actually have that much power and influence back then.

Do you share Lucille Ball's urge to entertain as an entertainer?

I don't even know if I would describe her that way.

After all, she wasn't a live entertainer who was drawn to the stage, but - and "Being the Ricardos" shows this very impressively - above all an actress who created a role for herself.

Because she actually came from film, where her big breakthrough was denied.

Of course, she had a lot of comedic talent and knew how to make the audience laugh.

You yourself are more specialized in dramatic, serious roles, especially since winning an Oscar in 2003 for "The Hours - From Eternity to Eternity".

Why don't you show your humorous side more often?

It's not that I don't play funny roles from time to time.

Think To Die For or Paddington a few years ago.

And even "Moulin Rouge!" had comedic elements.

But the more dramatic roles are often particularly appealing because they involve complex stories and psychological abysses that I'm happy to get involved in wholeheartedly.

And of course, decisions like that mostly depend on what directors see in you, and my image is certainly not that of the comedian.

Nevertheless, I always try not to be pigeonholed and, as an actress, to be open to everything.

I love satire and black humor.

And thanks to working on this film, I'm now also a big fan of slapstick.

So bring it on!