Sometimes when the audience is watching a famous actor in a biopic – it may be difficult to suspend disbelief. Impossible even. The comparison and marveling at the handiwork of make-up artists, hair stylists, and wardrobe engineers is a feat to behold. But, ya know, sometimes I’d like to watch the picture for what it is and instantly believe an actor is not just an actor, but Desi Arnaz the first moment he graces the screen. And with this lovely short film, I have found the actor that passes through the filter and suspends all disbelief:

Today, actor Alexander Bedria re-shared his award-winning short film that showcases Desi’s many dimensions:

“In light of the release of Being The Ricardos (and revitalized interest in Lucy & Desi), I’ve been encouraged by many to re-share my Desi Arnaz short. I’m thrilled that a new generation is getting to discover what a groundbreaking pioneer Desi was. Thanks to Nelson Jones, Matthew Macar, Will Barfield, Amanda Wing, Ben Begley, Rob Reider, Aaron Mager, & Arya Moghaddam.”

About the short film:

In 1951, little known Cuban bandleader Desi Arnaz (Alexander Bedria) lays the foundation that changes television history. Based on a true story.

Learn more on vimeo

Written and Directed by Alexander Bedria, I couldn’t believe what a perfect snapshot this film is, From Bedria:

“I hope this short film could be a companion piece to the movie, to learn about Desi from another angle. … and I’m a huge Javier bardem fan, so this is just a companion piece.”

I asked Bedria how this film came about:

“I got word that Aaron Sorkin was making a movie about Desi. And I had worked with Aaron Sorkin on Newsroom years ago. I was always fascinated by Desi, growing up with a Latina Mom and Grandmother. And in my family, as there were very few Latin pioneers of Film and Television, we were hyper aware of his accomplishments not just as a performer but also as a business man and I wanted the opportunity to explore that… I thought, I’d love a crack at playing him one day. It started as writing a scene as an audition, a screen test, and it became more of a short – it went from being an unsolicited self-tape audition into a short film. Friends said I should enter it into film festivals and it was accepted and won awards… Ultimately, the role went to a very famous actor, but I wanted to give it my best shot…”

What I love about acting is that there is no road map. There is no one way to work, get work, and explore the work itself. It is an open-ended industry and creating a work of art such as this has a huge impact. A 5 minute short film offers the opportunity for the general scrolling audience on social media to pick up some history about this culture-shaping figure in a format they might prefer to sitting down for a full feature in the middle of the afternoon. Especially as the people anticipating Being The Ricardos, it’s wonderful to have a companion piece to remind us that Desi Arnaz, himself, worked outside the box drawing his own business and performance opportunities that suited him best – as an innovator and fully dimensional performer. It seems to me that Alexander Bedria might be my favorite Desi Arnaz on many different levels.

Writer-Director Aaron Sorkin‘s Being The Ricardos is available to watch on Prime Video HERE. Don’t miss Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball and Javier Bardem as Desi Arnaz in this hellish ‘slice of life’ production week.

During one production week of “I Love Lucy” — from Monday table read through Friday audience taping — Lucille Ball (Nicole Kidman) and Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem) face a series of personal and professional crises that threaten their show, their careers and their marriage, in writer-director Aaron Sorkin’s behind-the-scenes drama.

Learn more on imdb

I asked Bedria for his *spoiler-free* take on Aaron Sorkin‘s Being The Ricardos:

“I really enjoyed it, I’m a huge Aaron Sorkin fan and working with him was a highlight of my career. To put [their life] through his vision was fascinating to seen. It was a really high degree of difficulty and they nailed it!”