Keith Urban Praises Nicole Kidman for Taking On ‘Challenging’ Role as Lucille Ball

Nicole Kidman is earning high praise for her role as Lucille Ball in Being the Ricardos, including from her own husband Keith Urban. Urban, who has been watching her transformation for the role, says he is in awe of how well Kidman took on the legendary character.

“It is inspiring really because it has been a really challenging role for her,” Urban boasted to The Daily Telegraph (via WROR). “I think getting past the concept of it being this impersonation, which it isn’t meant to be, it is her portraying this extraordinary woman’s life on screen, and that is what she does so well.”

Kidman recently praised Urban for how supportive he is of her and her work, in spite of his own successful country music career.

“He’s just very supportive,” Kidman boasted to Extra. “He’s in there going, ‘I believe you can do it. Go for it. What do we need to do to support you?’ Which is a fantastic partner in life.”

The award-winning actress previously said that they not only love that they both are inspired by their work, but they also share a love of being parents to their two daughters, Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret.

“We’re always working through stuff, but it’s very much love based, so there’s an enormous amount of give and take,” Kidman tells Harper’s Bazaar. “I want him to have the best life he can have, and he responds the same way. We really love parenting together.”

The love between the two certainly goes both ways. Urban also sings the praises of his wife, for how she has inspired both his personal and professional life.

“[I’m] thankful that my marriage is just, it’s life-giving, not just life-changing,” Urban told UMG. “It’s been life-giving for me. And from there, we created life, and that’s just beautiful, absolutely beautiful. And the effect that all of that has had in my work, has given life to it too, given it a sense of purpose and really deepened the experience for me.”

Being the Ricardos is in select theaters now. Urban will kick off the United States leg of his massive The Speed of Now Tour in May. Find dates at KeithUrban.com.