The final residing member of I Love Lucy'rating solid was simply 4 years previous when he began on the present, however he nonetheless has vivid recollections of that point.

Credited as Richard Keith on the present, Keith Thibodeaux performed Ricky Ricardo Jr. — a.ok.a. Little Ricky — the kid of Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, performed by stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz on the legendary sitcom. Within the first episode of The CW's new eight-part particular, TV We Love, Thibodeaux seemed again on the game-changing collection and the ability gamers who made it occur.

Ball and Arnaz, who have been married in actual life and had an actual youngster across the similar time their Lucy characters had Little Ricky, "took me in as their very own youngster and launched me to their kids, Lucie Jr. and Desi Jr., who I grew to become actually good mates with as a child," Thibodeaux stated. "We grew up collectively."

At one time, I Love Lucy was the most-watched present on this planet, and Thibodeaux stated he felt the strain — particularly from Ball. Recalling one explicit episode, Thibodeaux shared, "Lucy was very demanding of all people being proper on cue," however famous that "Desi handled me actually, actually good. He'd train us easy methods to fish and journey horses and swim. I had a coronary heart for him."

In season 6's "The Ricardos Go to Cuba," Lucy and Ricky go to his native Cuba, in order that Ricky can showcase his spouse and youngster to his household. Whereas there, the daddy and son sing a rendition of the band chief's signature music, "Babalu," whereas accompanying themselves on conga drums.

"It's a number of strain for somewhat child," Thibodeaux mirrored. "I did different reveals after that, however this was the massive one, in entrance of a reside viewers. You probably did one take, and that was it. It damage my hand a lot to do, as a result of I wasn't used to doing that, taking part in the congas."

It was younger Thibodeaux's prodigious knack for drumming that obtained him the half to start out with, nonetheless.

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"I began taking part in drums after I was, like, two years previous on trash cans in my yard in Lafayette, Louisiana," Thibodeaux recalled. "On the audition for the I Love Lucy present, they have been trying to develop the a part of Little Ricky. I went to satisfy Lucy there in her glory. There she was within the flesh, and she or he checked out me, and she or he stated, 'Effectively, he's cute. However what does he do?'"

With out lacking a beat, Thibodeaux's dad knowledgeable the comedy legend that his son was a wonderful drummer.

"So I began jamming on the drums. Lastly, Desi himself came visiting, began taking part in with me, stood up after some time, laughed, and stated, 'I feel we discovered our Little Ricky,'" Thibodeaux shared.

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Thibodeaux is essentially the most recognizable face among the many younger solid of I Love Lucy, a present that, for then and now alike, stands out inside a youth-obsessed business as dominated by older performers.

He wasn't the one actor to play the Ricardos' progeny on the sitcom, nonetheless; twins Mike and Joe Mayer took turns taking part in Little Ricky as a toddler, and different actors stuffed the gaps earlier than Thibodeaux took over as a preschooler.

The TV We Love episode specializing in I Love Lucy underscores how essential the Ricky Ricardo Jr. character was to the sitcom. The season 2 episode during which Lucy offers beginning to Ricky Jr., "Lucy Goes to the Hospital," set a brand new viewership file when almost 68 % of all American properties with TVs tuned in to look at.

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