Keith Thibodeaux, better known to classic TV fans as Little Ricky, just shared some refreshingly candid memories about working with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz on I Love Lucy. He is, remarkably, the last surviving star from the 1951 sitcom, and he popped up in the first episode of The CW's new nostalgia special TV We Love to talk about what it was actually like to be the Ricardos' on-screen kid.
The last Little Ricky speaks
Thibodeaux was credited as Richard Keith back in the day, and he joined I Love Lucy when he was just 4. Despite the toddler-age start, he says he still remembers the little things from that set. He played Ricky Ricardo Jr. — Little Ricky — the son of Lucy and Ricky, who were played by Ball and Arnaz (and married in real life).
Folded into the family
Around the time Ball and Arnaz were welcoming their own kids, they basically folded Thibodeaux into the family orbit. He says they treated him like one of their own and introduced him to their children, Lucie and Desi Jr. He became close with them and grew up alongside the Arnaz kids — a pretty surreal childhood by any measure.
Ball ran a tight ship, Arnaz was the soft landing
When the show hit peak popularity, the pressure got real — especially for a kid on a live-audience comedy where you got one shot to nail it. Thibodeaux makes it clear Ball expected precision, and Arnaz went out of his way to keep things warm and supportive.
'Lucy was very demanding of everybody being right on cue. Desi treated me really, really good. He'd teach us how to fish and ride horses and swim. I had a heart for him.'
The conga test
One story that stands out: Episode 9 of the final season, 'The Ricardos Visit Cuba.' Thibodeaux had to play the conga drums on camera. Sounds cute until you remember it was live, and there were no do-overs. He says it was a lot of pressure for a little kid — he had done other shows, but this was the big one — and his hands actually hurt because he was not used to playing congas at all. Again: live audience, one take, tiny drummer. Not exactly easy mode.
For a show as mythologized as I Love Lucy, it is nice to hear a grounded snapshot from someone who was actually there — and a rare child-star memory that is equal parts demanding and genuinely kind. Ball kept the trains running. Arnaz made it feel like family. And Little Ricky felt both.