Desi Arnaz, Jr. Bio
Desiderio Alberto Arnaz IV, born January 19, 1953, and better known as Desi Arnaz Jr., is an American retired actor and musician. The son of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, he began his career as a drummer in the 1960s before moving into film and television acting. He and his sister Lucie Arnaz co-starred on the sitcom Here’s Lucy, and together with Dean Paul Martin and Billy Hinsche he made records as part of the pop group Dino, Desi & Billy. Over a career that spanned more than five decades, he appeared in films such as Red Sky at Morning, Billy Two Hats, Joyride, and The Mambo Kings, and later served as an executive producer on Being the Ricardos in 2021.
Early Life and Background
Desi Arnaz Jr. was born on January 19, 1953, at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. His older sister is actress Lucie Arnaz, who was born in 1951. His parents were the stars of the television sitcom I Love Lucy, and his mother Lucille Ball’s pregnancy was written into the show, an unusual choice for a 1952 network series. The same day Ball gave birth to her real son, the character Lucy Ricardo gave birth to “Little Ricky” on television.
Arnaz’s birth was one of the most publicized in television history. He appeared on the cover of the first issue of TV Guide under the headline “Lucy’s $50,000,000 baby,” because revenue from advertising tie-ins connected to the new baby was expected to be that high. Actor Richard Keith, who later played Little Ricky on the series, spent time with Lucie and Desi Jr. as a child and became close to the family, teaching the young Desi how to play the drums. Arnaz attended University High School in West Los Angeles.
Path to Acting
At age 12, Arnaz began performing as a drummer with the pop group Dino, Desi & Billy, alongside Dean Paul Martin, the son of Dean Martin, and Billy Hinsche. The band had two hit singles, “I’m a Fool” and “Not the Lovin’ Kind,” in 1965. The early success of the group gave Arnaz his first taste of life in entertainment and connected him to other young performers from famous Hollywood families.
From 1968 to 1974, Desi Arnaz and his sister Lucie co-starred opposite their mother Lucille Ball in the CBS sitcom Here’s Lucy, playing her children on the show. In 1968 he also had a guest-starring role as a drum-playing friend in an episode of The Mothers-in-Law, which was executive-produced and directed by his father. These television roles helped him move from music into acting and introduced him to a wide national audience.
Desi Arnaz, Jr. Career
Early Career (1957–1967)
Arnaz’s career began in 1957, when he appeared as a child on television at the age of four. Throughout the early 1960s he focused on developing his skills as a drummer, practicing under the guidance of actor Richard Keith. By 1965, as a member of Dino, Desi & Billy, he reached the music charts with the singles “I’m a Fool” and “Not the Lovin’ Kind,” giving him a popular following before he was 15 years old.
These early years helped shape Arnaz as a performer comfortable on both the music stage and the television set. Working alongside Dean Paul Martin and Billy Hinsche prepared him for the more structured environment of a weekly sitcom cast. After the group ran its course, he was ready to step into larger acting roles alongside his mother and sister.
Breakthrough (1968–1977)
Here’s Lucy, which ran from 1968 to 1974, was Arnaz’s first sustained starring role and his widest exposure on American television. In 1970 he appeared in an episode of The Brady Bunch titled “The Possible Dream,” further building his small-screen résumé. He then moved into feature films, starring in the 1971 drama Red Sky at Morning opposite Richard Thomas, Richard Crenna, and Claire Bloom. He followed this with the title role in the 1973 musical Marco, about the life of adventurer Marco Polo, although the film did not succeed at the box office.
In 1974 Arnaz played the title role in the Western Billy Two Hats, co-starring Gregory Peck. In 1976 he appeared in two episodes of the television series The Streets of San Francisco and in a Saturday Night Live episode hosted by both his father and himself, in which he played Ricky Ricardo opposite Gilda Radner as Lucy. In 1977 he starred in the road film Joyride, working alongside fellow children of famous actors Melanie Griffith, Robert Carradine, and Anne Lockhart.
1980s and 1990s
Arnaz’s acting continued into the late 1980s with a leading role in the short-lived television series Automan, which aired from 1983 to 1984 for 12 episodes. He took on supporting roles in additional television projects throughout the decade. In 1992 he played his father, Ricky Ricardo, in the feature film The Mambo Kings, based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. The film includes a scene in which Arnaz, as his father’s character, acts opposite footage of his mother as Lucy Ricardo, a moment that tied his career back to his parents’ legacy.
Notable Works and Milestones
Among Arnaz’s most recognized works are the films Red Sky at Morning, Billy Two Hats, Joyride, and The Mambo Kings, along with the television series Here’s Lucy and Automan. His music career was anchored by Dino, Desi & Billy and the later touring version Ricci, Desi & Billy. In 2007 he and his sister Lucie appeared at the 5th Annual TV Land Awards to accept the Legacy of Laughter award given posthumously to their mother. In 2021 he and Lucie Arnaz served as executive producers on the film Being the Ricardos.
Desi Arnaz, Jr. Family
Desi Arnaz Jr. is the son of Cuban-American entertainer and producer Desi Arnaz and American actress and producer Lucille Ball. His older sister, Lucie Arnaz, is also an actress, and the two often worked together, both on Here’s Lucy and on later projects such as the touring show Babalu and the film Being the Ricardos.
Arnaz has two daughters, Julia Arnaz and Haley Arnaz. His granddaughter, Desiree S. Anzalone, the daughter of Julia, was a photographer who died of breast cancer on September 27, 2020, at the age of 31.
Personal Life
Arnaz has a daughter, Julia Arnaz, from a relationship with model Susan Callahan-Howe in 1968, when both were 15 years old; Julia’s relationship to Desi Jr. was confirmed by a paternity test in 1991. He later dated actress Patty Duke when he was 17 and she was 23, and was engaged to entertainer Liza Minnelli in 1972, though Minnelli ended their engagement in 1973.
Arnaz married actress Linda Purl in 1979, and she filed for divorce on January 3, 1980, with the divorce finalized later that year. On October 8, 1987, he married Amy Laura Bargiel, and the couple lived in Boulder City, Nevada, with their daughter, Haley. In 1997 he purchased the Boulder Theatre and restored it, and it later became the home of the Boulder City Ballet Company. Amy Arnaz died of cancer in 2015 at age 63. Desi Arnaz Jr. continues to reside in Boulder City, Nevada.