Desi Arnaz

Known for: Acting
Born: March 2, 1917, Santiago, Cuba
Died: December 2, 1986
Movies: 38

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.

Upcoming Desi Arnaz Movies

The Lucy-Desi Milton Berle Special

Release date TBA

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse Bernadette Episode

Release date TBA

The Time Element

Release date TBA

Best-Known Movies

7.0

The Long, Long Trailer

1954

7.1

Lucy and Desi

2022

6.4

Bataan

1943

7.7

Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music

2025

6.2

The Escape Artist

1982

5.9

Too Many Girls

1940

6.0

The Navy Comes Through

1942

6.9

Forever, Darling

1956

7.7

I Love Lucy: The Movie

1953

7.1

My Darling Vivian

2020

Filmography

2025	A Grammy Celebration of Latin Music	Self/Ricky Ricardo (archive footage)
2025	Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music	Self (archive footage)
2022	Lucy and Desi	Self (archive footage)
2020	My Darling Vivian	Self (archive footage)
2016	I Love Lucy Christmas Special	Ricky
2011	Classic TV Bloopers Uncensored	Ricky Ricardo (archive footage)
2005	Broadway's Lost Treasures III: The Best of The Tony Awards	Manuelito (segment "Too Many Girls") (archive footage)
2004	Judy Garland: By Myself	Self (archive footage)
2004	TV in Black: The First Fifty Years	(archive footage)
2000	Lucille Ball: Finding Lucy	Self (archive footage)
1999	Television: The First Fifty Years	Ricky Ricardo (archive footage)
1997	The Funny World of Lucy, Volume 1
1993	Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie	Self
1983	Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage	Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
1982	The Escape Artist	Mayor Leon Quiñones
1976	CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years	Self
1976	Salsa	Self (archive footage)
1976	Joys	Self
1975	Texaco Presents: A Quarter Century of Bob Hope on Television	(archive footage)
1960	The Man in the Funny Suit	Self - Host
1956	The Bob Hope Chevy Show	Fred Mertz
1956	Forever, Darling	Lorenzo Xavier Vega
1956	Lucy's Really Lost Moments	Ricky Ricardo
1954	A Star Is Born World Premiere	Self
1954	The Long, Long Trailer	Nicholas Collini
1953	I Love Lucy: The Movie	Ricky Ricardo / Self
1949	Holiday in Havana	Carlos Estrada
1946	Desi Arnaz and His Orchestra	Self
1946	Cuban Pete	Desi Arnaz
1943	Bataan	Felix Ramirez
1942	The Navy Comes Through	Pat Tarriba
1942	Four Jacks and a Jill	Steve Sarto / King Stephan VIII of Aregal
1941	Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 2
1941	Father Takes a Wife	Carlos Bardez
1940	Too Many Girls	Manuelito

Directing, Writing & Producing

1960	The Man in the Funny Suit	Producer
1958	Strange Witness	Producer
1956	Lucy's Really Lost Moments	Producer, Director, Writer

Data from TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.