Lady Gaga needed to abandon her typical theatrical confidence during her portrayal of Harley Quinn in the upcoming "Joker" sequel, she revealed.
During an interview with CNN, Gaga revealed the significant changes she needed to make in her performance style for the movie, which serves dual purposes as a scaled-down musical and a grim love tale between the Joker, played by Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, and her character.
"I aimed to eliminate altogether the theatrics, the confidence, and all the natural stage behaviors that I exhibit as Gaga," Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, explained.
The 13-time Grammy Award winner and Oscar winner for the "Shallow" original song from "A Star is Born" (2018) even unlearned certain singing techniques for her latest role.
"I attempted to breathe improperly," she admitted, also disclosing that she "made an effort to avoid any vocal placement in my throat in the manner I would when on stage."
As a result, her character develops a subdued and breathy singing style that aligns with Phoenix's in their duets. They additionally synchronize in other aspects, as she finds herself comfortable with violence and arson alongside Phoenix's often homicidal Joker, as depicted in the film.
"Folie a Deux" is the sequel to the 2019 "Joker," which saw Phoenix claim the Academy Award for best lead actor. The film amassed over $1 billion globally, contributing to the eventual creation of this seemingly unconventional sequel.
"Joker: Folie a Deux" hits theaters on Friday. It is produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, just like CNN, which is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.
Gaga mentioned that she wanted to switch her singing style to be more subdued and breathy for the movie, as it serves as a musical, which requires a different approach to entertainment compared to her usual stage performances.
The collaboration between Gaga and Phoenix in "Joker: Folie a Deux" has been highly anticipated in the entertainment world, given their synced performances and the global success of the previous "Joker" movie.
