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An Unlikely Inspiration:
Exploring the Footprints of Lucille Ball
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By Joan Baker, October 27 , 2024
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There have been many influences in my life, but few have shaped me quite like Lucille Ball. From childhood through high school, I was glued to I Love Lucy, The Lucy Show, and Here’s Lucy. Lucille embodied everything I aspired to be as a character actress. For that half-hour each week, I was fully immersed in the world of Lucy. My family knew not to disturb me during that time; it was sacred.
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I came incredibly close to meeting her once! When I first moved to NYC in the ’80s, I had a photo shoot with renowned photographer Marc Raboy, who had photographed nearly every major star. I later learned that his best friend was Lucille Ball’s daughter, Lucie Arnaz. So, on the day of my shoot, he opened the door and casually said, “You just missed Lucille Ball by one minute.” I could hardly believe it. How surreal to have been that close to meeting my lifelong inspiration. Marc and I became fast friends, and decades later, after he passed away, Lucie Arnaz and I were asked to honor him onstage at his wake. In a cabaret, we shared testimonials about the extraordinary man who had captured so many iconic performers, including Lucy.
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As the years passed, I reconnected with Lucille Ball’s legacy through adult eyes, rediscovering her brilliance, humor, and influence. Lucille was more than just a comedic icon; she was a visionary who broke barriers as a woman in Hollywood, co-owning Desilu Productions with her husband, Desi Arnaz, and later becoming one of the first women to run her own studio. Together, Lucy and Desi revolutionized television, pioneering the three-camera sitcom format, syndication, and production techniques that remain industry standards to this day. Their achievements were not solely based on talent but on a bold, entrepreneurial spirit that reshaped the landscape of entertainment.
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Their story resonates deeply with me, especially as Rudy and I have navigated our own path in the entertainment industry. Through our work with SOVAS™, we’ve dedicated ourselves to creating opportunities for voice actors to shine, work we’ve been inspired to pursue just as Lucy and Desi contributed to opening doors for their colleagues. Running our organization, producing events like That’s Voiceover!™ Career Expo and the Voice Arts® Awards, and championing the art of voice acting require resilience, creativity, and a commitment to our vision, values Lucy and Desi modeled so courageously.
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A significant part of our journey has been the pursuit of sponsorships. Just as it was with Lucy and Desi. For any major production, sponsorship is what keeps the lights on. It’s not the only revenue stream, but it’s critical. Sponsors can also add value through the equity of their brands and the ways they engage with the voiceover community. Building and maintaining relationships with sponsors over the years has been essential, helping us establish a “conference culture” that, like television in Lucy’s time, had to demonstrate to sponsors that voice actors were a unique and valued audience.
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It’s also true that you can’t rely on the return of any single sponsor in a given year. Sponsors, like any business, have shifting financial priorities. Working with them is a bit like playing the stock market; sometimes they’re up, and sometimes they’re down. This requires a tolerance for risk. Some sponsors took us years to win over, only after they recognized the value of what we were doing. Securing sponsorship and growing our audience of voice actors has been a lesson in learning to tell our story.
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Lucille’s story reminds me that succeeding is about having the courage to innovate, the determination to pursue your vision, and the resilience to overcome obstacles. Lucy and Desi proved that the traditional route isn’t the only path; they created their own, showing what was possible.
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Every time I look at a photo of Lucille Ball, I’m reminded that dreams aren’t just meant to be wished for; they’re meant to be pursued with every ounce of your heart. Lucille’s commitment to her craft taught me that true mastery comes from hard work, practice, and a deep belief in your vision. This is a lesson Rudy, and I carry into every project, every event, and every voice artist we mentor.
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Let Lucy’s story inspire you to chase your dreams fearlessly, to face adversity with grace and humor, and to let your tears water the seeds of new ideas. Here’s to the dreamers and the doers. Like Lucy and Desi, and all of us in the voice acting community, let the meaning lie in the journey. Keep creating it, one step at a time. ♦♦♦
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Joan Baker is the co-founder and VP of the Society Of Voice Arts And Sciences™ (SOVAS™), an award-winning voice actor, producer, and author of Secrets of Voiceover Success. She pioneered the Voice Acting Department as an adjunct professor at the Hartt School, University of Hartford, and serves as a judge for the Daytime Emmy Awards. Joan, along with her partner, Rudy Gaskins, is the creator and driving force behind That’s Voiceover!™ Career Expo and the Voice Arts® Awards, celebrated as ‘The Oscars® of Voice Acting.’ Her work champions transformation and excellence in the voice arts industry.
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From Society of Voice Arts and Sciences:
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