In a recent interview with Empire, Joaquin Phoenix discussed his experience filming Joker: Folie à Deux and his co-star Lady Gaga’s reaction to his singing. Phoenix, who is reprising his role as Arthur Fleck in the musical sequel, humorously recalled Gaga’s initial response to his performance. “I do seem to remember her spitting up coffee the first time I sang, so that felt good, that was exciting and made me feel confident,” Phoenix said.
Gaga, who takes on the role of Harley Quinn in the sequel, was supportive throughout the filming process. Phoenix mentioned that Gaga encouraged him by saying, “Go with what you feel, it’s fine.” He acknowledged that performing in a musical can be both uncomfortable and thrilling for someone who is not accustomed to that kind of performance.
For Gaga, portraying a character in a musical required her to adjust her usual singing style. “People know me by my stage name, Lady Gaga, right? That’s me as that performer, but that is not what this movie is; I’m playing a character,” she explained. Gaga emphasized that she worked hard to adapt her singing style to fit the character of Harley Quinn rather than her usual performance persona.
Joker: Folie à Deux also features Catherine Keener, Brendan Gleeson, and Zazie Beetz. The film is part of DC Elseworlds and is not connected to the DC universe being developed by Peter Safran and James Gunn at DC Studios.
