Desi Arnaz, Jr.
Desi Arnaz, Jr. (born
Desiderio Alberto Arnaz, IV on
January 19,
1953) is an
American actor and
musician.
He was born at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in
Hollywood, California, the son of famous acting team
Desi Arnaz and
Lucille Ball. His older sister is actress
Lucie Arnaz.
His birth was one of the most publicized and anticipated births in
TV history. His parents were appearing in the
sitcom I Love Lucy and Ball's pregnancy was written into the storyline of the show, a move considered daring and groundbreaking in those conservative times. When Lucille Ball went to the hospital and gave birth to Desi, Jr., the network ran the episode where the fictional Lucy Ricardo gave birth to Little Ricky and millions of TV viewers watched. The newborn child was shown on the first cover of
TV Guide.
By age twelve, Arnaz, Jr., was working as a drummer with the group
Dino, Desi, & Billy. The other members were
Dino Martin (son of
Dean Martin) and
Billy Hinsche. The group scored two hit singles during
1965.
In
1968, he and his sister, Lucie, played opposite their mother in her series
Here's Lucy, as her children.
Arnaz, Jr.'s acting career extended into the
1980s with appearances in numerous made for TV productions and guest roles on various series and a lead role in the short-lived
Automan. He returned to acting to play his father in the movie
The Mambo Kings (
1992)
Arnaz, Jr., has been married and divorced from actress
Linda Purl.
He was romantically linked to
Patty Duke,
Liza Minnelli and
Victoria Principal. When Patty Duke gave birth to
Sean Astin many assumed that Arnaz, Jr., was the biological father. Years later, Arnaz, Jr., took a blood test to determine Sean Astin's paternity. The test showed that Arnaz was not the father.He married Amy Barghell in 1989, whose daughter Haley he adopted.
