‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ promises to be a bigger, crazier and far more musical addition to the ‘Joker’ universe, but Lady Gaga did her best to stay grounded as she transformed into the wanton psychiatrist Harley Quinn. Her co-star Zazie Beetz has nothing but good things to say about Gaga’s performance in Todd Phillips’ follow-up to his 2019 Academy Award-winning film.
“She’s super warm and kind,” Beetz said Variety by Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta. “I felt very welcome with her on set. She was doing her character work and stuff like that, but she’s a very grounded person. She’s just Stefani.
Beetz teased that fans will be “surprised” at how the musical sequel plays out.
“I don’t think it’s going to be what they expect since it’s musical,” said the “Atlanta” actress. “We all express ourselves musically and dance in our daily lives. I think it will work really well.
“Joker: Folie à Deux” sees Joaquin Phoenix reprise his Academy Award-winning role as tormented loner turned supervillain Arthur Fleck. Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Jacob Lofland and Harry Lawtey round out the cast. The film is said to mostly take place in Arkham Asylum, the famous mental institution that houses the villains in the ‘Batman’ comics. The release of the film is set for October 4, 2024.
Lady Gaga’s dramatic acting skills are impeccable at this point and she’s had several opportunities to fine-tune her process. The Oscar winner stayed in character for her roles in ‘A Star Is Born’ and ‘House of Gucci.’
“I would actually say that playing a character for me is like living a long song, a long song that lasts for months,” Gaga said in 2022. “For ‘A Star Is Born,’ it was years for me. When I’m in character, I don’t pretend we’re not filming. I get people saying, ‘Why did you keep your accent on the whole time?’ Can you imagine going in and out of that shit all the time, and I’d only have three takes? I had to be ready.”
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