"I am a real ham. I love an audience. I work better with an audience. I am dead, in fact, without one."
-Lucille Ball
Though she started off her acting career trying to make it as a blonde bombshell à la Marilyn Monroe, Ball discovered much greater success as her quirky redheaded character. Entering largely uncharted territory for female entertainers, she took cues from male comedians like Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplain. Their silent routines inspired Lucy’s unforgettable goofy facial expressions and slapstick physical comedy.
