A recently discovered radio interview from 1951 is giving fans of I Love Lucy a rare glimpse into Vivian Vance’s life just before she became beloved to millions as Ethel Mertz.
In the interview, recorded only months before filming began on the sitcom, Vance spoke candidly about her struggles as a young actress trying to make it in New York. She revealed that she had been working steadily in theater but was “still waiting for the part that felt like it was mine.”
When asked about television — still a relatively new medium at the time — Vance admitted she wasn’t sure it was for her.
“The stage will always be my first love,” she said. “But television is growing, and maybe one day, if the right thing comes along, I’ll give it a try.”
Within a year, she would be cast opposite Lucille Ball in a role that would define her career and cement her in sitcom history.
The interview, found in the archives of a small New Mexico radio station, will be included in an upcoming documentary about Vance’s life and career. Early clips from the documentary show rare photographs of her stage performances, offering a new perspective on the actress fans came to know as Lucy Ricardo’s quick-witted and loyal best friend.
Film historian Greg Sanders summed it up:
“Hearing her voice before the fame hit is like discovering a hidden chapter in a book you thought you knew by heart.”
