JK SIMMONS IS FRED MERTZ?

At first glance this casting seems HIGHLY improbable. JK Simmons is a physically fit, attractive man who in no way resembles the portly character on I Love Lucy. What we remember most about Fred Mertz was that he was chubby and wore his belted pants way up high on his chest. And he was a bit grumpy. Simmons is a skilled actor (remember the Oscar for Whiplash?) but THIS is a challenge. Actually, Simmons is playing William Frawley in the Amazon film Being the Ricardos opposite Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball and Javier Bardem as Desi Arnaz. The story takes place behind the scenes of taping one episode of I Love Lucy. But since William Frawley WAS Fred Mertz, we wonder if Simmons will pack on a few pounds for the role to make it believable…