Lucille Ball was an American actress and pioneer in comedy. She was the star of the popular television seriesI Love Lucy. As an entertainer and businesswomanBall continuously broke barriers for women in entertainment business.

Lucille Ball was born on August 61911 in JamestownNew York. Her father died early onleaving Ball’s mother a widow. Eventuallyher mother remarried. By the age of 12Ball knew that she loved being on stage. She enrolled in many acting classes and in 1925her mother sent her to John Murray Anderson School for Dramatic Arts. There she trained under popular teachers and one of her classmates was future Hollywood starBette Davis. UnfortunatelyBall did not enjoy her time at the school and the teachers believed that she lacked talent.

She did not let the opinions of others stop her. Ball started working as a model in 1932but she was never able to keep steady work. In 1933she moved to HollywoodCalifornia. For the next few yearsBall held small roles in several motion pictures. During this timeshe also worked in theatre. In 1940while working on movie setshe met Desi Arnaza Cuban American actor. The couple started dating immediately and eloped only a year later. They proved to be a powerful couple. Their relationship was the inspiration behind a television show created by Ball.

I Love Lucy premiered in 1951. Ball produced the series which centered around the marriage of Desi and Lucy. The show was an instant success. It received critical acclaim and went on to win over twenty awards including five Emmys. It remained on the air until 1957 and created several spin-offs.  Ball also used her star power to financially invest in the entertainment business. In 1950Ball and her husband created Desilu Productions. The company not only produced I Love Lucy but it went to on create other hit television shows like The Dick Van Dyke Show and Star Trek. Ball and Arnaz divorced in 1960. When the marital relationship ended Arnaz decided to sell his ownership of Desilu Productions to Ball. The deal made her the first woman to own a major studio. Ball continued her successful career in filmtelevisionand theatre.

Ball guest starred in several popular television shows before she retired in 1974. Despite their divorcethe couple remained friends throughout her life. Additionallythey continued to coparent their two children. Ball’s work behind the scenes with Desilu Productions transformed the way studios created and produced movies and television shows. Many commonplace techniques in television productionslike filming in front of a live studio audience and using three camerasstarted with Desilu Productions. Although Ball died in 1989her career continues to influence the work of other female comedians. Throughout her life she mentored several women making sure to impart her invaluable knowledge to the next generation.