Lady Gaga Talks Playing Harley Quinn In “Joker: Folie à Deux”
Fans of Lady Gaga are about to witness her in a way they’ve never seen before. The multi-talented artist, known for her constant reinventions, is stepping into an entirely new role in Joker: Folie à Deux, which hits theaters on October 4. “That’s for sure,” Gaga, born Stefani Germanotti, tells PEOPLE, emphasizing how different this experience has been for her.
After dazzling audiences as a pop superstar, fashion icon, jazz singer, and acclaimed actress, Gaga takes on the challenge of playing Harley Quinn, a character as complex as the superstar herself. In the upcoming sequel to Todd Phillips’ 2019 Joker, she portrays Harleen “Lee” Quinzel, also known as Harley Quinn, opposite Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker. This time, however, the film is not just about the dark world of Gotham’s Arkham State Hospital — it’s also a musical, with surreal song-and-dance sequences woven into the chaos.
“I really wanted to do something that I’ve never done before,” says Gaga of her decision to play the famous DC Comics villain.
The singer was drawn to the extremes that her character embodies — much like the extremes she’s explored in her own career. “There’s so much around identity and duality in this movie. For me, having a persona in my life as Gaga, I think I just wanted to make it really grounded in reality because I definitely think having two identities is really complicated. And I knew that there was a real story in there,” she stated.
Gaga describes Harley as a character full of contradictions, which was both a challenge and a thrill for her to portray. She not only called her love and obsession for Arthur “admiration and disgust” but further said, “I think it was truthful and dishonest. I think it was really dangerous, and also completely peaceful.”
These contrasts made Harley feel more human, according to Gaga. “She was like a very nonlinear person — and I think we’re all like that. Sometimes in storytelling, I think there’s a pull to want to make things make sense. And that was our enemy making this movie,” she shared.
Indeed, Joker: Folie à Deux dives deep into these contradictions. The plot centers around Arthur’s murder trial following the events of the first Joker film, leaving audiences with more questions than answers when it comes to the true nature of Harley Quinn. And even after filming wrapped, Gaga admits that she found it hard to completely leave the character behind.
