Desi Arnaz

Biography

Desi Arnaz (March 2, 1917 – December 2, 1986) was a Cuban-born American musician, actor and television producer. While he gained international renown for leading a Latin music band, the Desi Arnaz Orchestra, he is best known for his role as Ricky Ricardo on I Love Lucy, starring with then-wife Lucille Ball.

Career Overview

Desi Arnaz has 63 screen credits in a career dating back to 1940. Signature works include I Love Lucy, The Man in the Funny Suit, The Time Element. Explore the interactive character relationship maps on each title page to trace how their roles connect across franchises.

Personal Facts

Known For

Acting

Gender

male

Known Credits

63

Birth Date

1917-03-02 00:00:00

Birth Place

Santiago, Cuba

Known For

• 

  I Love Lucy
• The Man in the Funny Suit
• 

  The Time Element
• 

  Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie
• 

  Forever, Darling
• 

  Lucy's Really Lost Moments

Frequent Collaborators

• Lucille Ball (5 collaborations)
• Vivian Vance (2 collaborations)
• William Frawley (2 collaborations)
• Bob Hope (2 collaborations)
• Ed Wynn (1 collaborations)
• Keenan Wynn (1 collaborations)
• Seymour Berns (1 collaborations)
• Joey Faye (1 collaborations)
• Ned Glass (1 collaborations)
• Drew Handley (1 collaborations)

Credits

• actors (48 credits)

  • Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse Bernadette Episode

    Host (himself)

    actor

    actors
    2026
  • The Time Element

    Host

    actor

    actors
    2026
  • The Lucy-Desi Milton Berle Special

    actor

    actors
    2026
  • A Grammy Celebration of Latin Music

    Self/Ricky Ricardo (archive footage)

    actor

    actors
    2025
  • Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music

    Self (archive footage)

    actor

    actors
    2025
  • Lucy and Desi

    Self (archive footage)

    actor

    actors
    2022
  • My Darling Vivian

    Self (archive footage)

    actor

    actors
    2020
  • I Love Lucy Christmas Special

    Ricky

    actor

    actors
    2016
  • Classic TV Bloopers Uncensored

    Ricky Ricardo (archive footage)

    actor

    actors
    2011
  • Broadway's Lost Treasures III: The Best of The Tony Awards

    Manuelito (segment "Too Many Girls") (archive footage)

    actor

    actors
    2005
  • Judy Garland: By Myself

    Self (archive footage)

    actor

    actors
    2004
  • TV in Black: The First Fifty Years

    (archive footage)

    actor

    actors
    2004
  • Lucille Ball: Finding Lucy

    Self (archive footage)

    actor

    actors
    2000
  • Television: The First Fifty Years

    Ricky Ricardo (archive footage)

    actor

    actors
    1999
  • The Funny World of Lucy, Volume 1

    actor

    actors
    1997
  • Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie

    Self

    actor

    actors
    1993
  • Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

    Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

    actor

    actors
    1983
  • The Escape Artist

    Mayor Leon Quiñones

    actor

    actors
    1982
  • CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years

    Self

    actor

    actors
    1976
  • Salsa

    Self (archive footage)

    actor

    actors
    1976
  • Joys

    Self

    actor

    actors
    1976
  • Alice

    - The Cuban Connection (1978) ... actor actors
    1976
  • Texaco Presents: A Quarter Century of Bob Hope on Television

    (archive footage)

    actor

    actors
    1975
  • Saturday Night Live

    - Desi Arnaz with Desi Arnaz Jr. (1976) ... Self - Host & Musical Guest actor actors
    1975
  • Ironside

    - Riddle at 24,000 (1974) ... Dr. Juan Domingo actor actors
    1967
  • The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

    - Episode 188 (1976) ... Self actor actors

    - Episode 46 (1976) ... Self actor actors
    1962
  • The Virginian

    - The Best Man (1970) ... El Jefe actor actors
    1962
  • The Mike Douglas Show

    - Episode 128 (1976) ... Self actor actors
    1961
  • The Man in the Funny Suit

    Self - Host

    actor

    actors
    1960
  • The Bob Hope Chevy Show

    Fred Mertz

    actor

    actors
    1956
  • Forever, Darling

    Lorenzo Xavier Vega

    actor

    actors
    1956
  • Lucy's Really Lost Moments

    Ricky Ricardo

    actor

    actors
    1956
  • A Star Is Born World Premiere

    Self

    actor

    actors
    1954
  • The Long, Long Trailer

    Nicky Collini

    actor

    actors
    1954
  • I Love Lucy: The Movie

    Ricky Ricardo / Self

    actor

    actors
    1953
  • I Love Lucy

    Ricky Ricardo

    actor

    actors

    - The Ricardos Dedicate a Statue (1957) ... Ricky Ricardo actor actors

    - Lucy Raises Tulips (1957) ... Ricky Ricardo actor actors

    - Country Club Dance (1957) ... Ricky Ricardo actor actors

    - Building a B.B.Q. (1957) ... Ricky Ricardo actor actors

    - Housewarming (1957) ... Ricky Ricardo actor actors
    1951
  • The Red Skelton Show

    - Pantomime Concert (1961) ... Self actor actors
    1951
  • What's My Line?

    - Episode 296 (1956) ... Self - Panelist actor actors

    - Episode 278 (1955) ... Self actor actors

    - Episode 128 (1952) ... Self actor actors
    1950
  • Holiday in Havana

    Carlos Estrada

    actor

    actors
    1949
  • The Emmy Awards

    - The 9th Annual Emmy Awards (1957) ... Self actor actors

    - The 4th Annual Emmy Awards (1952) ... Self actor actors
    1949
  • Desi Arnaz and His Orchestra

    Self

    actor

    actors
    1946
  • Cuban Pete

    Desi Arnaz

    actor

    actors
    1946
  • Bataan

    Felix Ramirez

    actor

    actors
    1943
  • The Navy Comes Through

    Pat Tarriba

    actor

    actors
    1942
  • Four Jacks and a Jill

    Steve Sarto / King Stephan VIII of Aregal

    actor

    actors
    1942
  • Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 2

    actor

    actors
    1941
  • Father Takes a Wife

    Carlos Bardez

    actor

    actors
    1941
  • Too Many Girls

    Manuelito

    actor

    actors
    1940

• production (12 credits)

  • Star Trek: The Cage

    executive producer

    production
    1965
  • Surf Scene

    executive producer

    production
    1963
  • The Lucy Show

    - Lucy Buys a Boat (1963) ... producer production

    - Lucy and the Runaway Butterfly (1963) ... producer production

    - Lucy and the Little League (1963) ... producer production

    - Lucy Is a Chaperone (1963) ... producer production

    - Lucy and Viv Take Up Chemistry (1963) ... producer production
    1962
  • Dragon by the Tail

    executive producer

    production
    1961
  • Alcatraz Express

    executive producer

    production
    1961
  • The Man in the Funny Suit

    producer

    production
    1960
  • The Gun of Zangara

    executive producer

    production
    1960
  • The Texan

    producer

    production

    - 24 Hours to Live (1960) ... producer production

    - Badman (1960) ... producer production

    - Mission to Monterrey (1960) ... producer production

    - The Accuser (1960) ... producer production

    - Johnny Tuvo (1960) ... producer production
    1958
  • The Fountain of Youth

    executive producer

    production
    1958
  • Strange Witness

    producer

    production
    1958
  • Lucy's Really Lost Moments

    producer

    production
    1956
  • I Love Lucy

    producer

    production

    - The Ricardos Dedicate a Statue (1957) ... producer production

    - Lucy Raises Tulips (1957) ... producer production

    - Country Club Dance (1957) ... producer production

    - Building a B.B.Q. (1957) ... producer production

    - Housewarming (1957) ... producer production
    1951

• directing (2 credits)

  • The Lucy Show

    - Lucy Goes to London (1966) ... director directing
    1962
  • Lucy's Really Lost Moments

    director

    directing
    1956

• writing (1 credits)

  • Lucy's Really Lost Moments

    writer

    writing
    1956