The actress and filmmaker opened up to ET on Tuesday at the LA premiere of the new documentary.
It's been 70 years since I Love Lucy first debuted, catapulting Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz into a level of fame and stardom that would cement their names in history for generations to come. Their tumultuous love story and indelible mark on the face of showbusiness have been at the center of renewed fervor in recent months, and Amy Poehler's new documentary on the pair aims to shine a different kind of light on their legacy.
Poehler, who directed the forthcoming doc Lucy and Desi, spoke with ET's Matt Cohen at the film's Los Angeles premiere on Tuesday, and opened up about the difficulties she faced when helming the monumental project.
"The challenge of this film, because Lucy and Desi are so known, is to figure out almost how to bring them back to life. Make them people again, rather than icons," Poehler shared. "It's been an amazing experience."
Poehler was approached to direct the project by film's producers, who had been speaking with Lucie Arnaz -- Lucille and Desi's daughter -- about creating this film to examine who her parents were as real people, and the impact they had on television and showbusiness in general.
This meant that the Parks and Rec alum worked closely with Lucie while getting to know a new, personal side of the famous couple at the center of the documentary.
"I have really loved having to get the chance to know Lucie and she's done an amazing job of protecting her family's legacy and taking really gentle care of it but also allowing people to get in and to tell stories and to talk about her parents," Poehler shared. "
Making the film also gave Poehler a chance to learn more about the TV legend, and she explained how she felt a sort of connection to the I Love Lucy star and one-time Desilu Productions co-founder.
"I related very heavily to a working mother in the business, producing a lot of stuff, I really related to all that," said Poehler, who is mom to two children herself -- sons Archie, 13, and Abel, 11. "I was very always impressed by the way she treated people, the way she treated her work. And I learned that she was a mentor to a lot of young women coming up [in the industry]."
Lucy and Desi explores Lucille and Desi's unlikely partnership and enduring legacy, as they risked everything to be together to create their empire. The unique look inside their history-making relationship debuts March 4 on Amazon Prime Video.
RELATED CONTENT:
