Lady Gaga nearly skipped performing at the 2023 Oscars while going ‘full method’ as Harley Quinn
She’s known for getting into the head of difficult characters – she needed the help of a psychiatric nurse on set while playing notorious criminal Patrizia Reggiani in House of Gucci.
But Lady Gaga’s next role – playing Harley Quinn in the highly anticipated drama, Joker: Folie à Deux, alongside Joaquin Phoenix – would have pushed the 13-time Grammy winner to new extremes, almost causing her to miss performing this year. Oscars.
A movie insider tells DailyMail.com that Gaga, 37, went “full method” to get into character as the Joker’s girlfriend, described as a “human dealing with bipolar trauma and mental health weakness” and yet was still filming when the 95th Academy Awards were presented. place in March.
Gaga reportedly informed the Oscar bosses just 48 hours before the show that she would be appearing at the Hollywood event to perform Hold My Hand from Top Gun: Maverick.
Gaga had shot many of New York’s most intense movie scenes in recent weeks. Her head was completely in a space for Harley,” reveals the insider of the project, which wrapped filming earlier this month.
It wasn’t just an easy question to drop that commitment and fly to LA to sing at the Oscars. She didn’t commit because Joker was her life and central focus. It took a few requests from her team and the Oscar producers before she agreed to star.
With Gaga so deep in character, it wasn’t that easy to just switch to pop star mode.
Hard work: Lady Gaga went ‘full method’ to get into character for the role of Harley Quinn in The Joker sequel (seen at the 2023 Oscars filming L and Joker sequel R)
The insider adds of her eventual makeup-free performance, “She gave us a glimpse of Harley without saying anything. Everyone saw a vulnerable and emotional artist who not only sang a blockbuster theme song, but made a statement.’
When it comes to what fans can expect from the role, the insider says Gaga is “determined to make Harley more than just a cartoonish screen character.”
“She was focused on mapping out a complex human being, battling grief, long-term trauma, and a desire to find a soul mate.
“Throw in the bipolar issue and you have a great acting job. She pushed herself to the limit by effectively living the mindset of this versatile personality,” the source adds.
The pop star also had to balance that character development with the challenge of singing musical numbers with undertones of menace.
Gaga was also moved by Joaquin Phoenix’s Oscar-winning performance, which showcased the mental health journey of titular villainous protagonist Arthur Fleck in the 2019 film Joker.
Committed: Gaga was reportedly so obsessed with delivering a perfectly accurate interpretation of a “human being dealing with bipolar trauma and mental health weakness” that she stayed in her character for months during filming (pictured with Joaquin Phoenix)
A Warner Brothers source added that Gaga’s buzz-worthy performance of Harley Quinn could earn her another Academy Award for early rushes seen by executives.
The insider added that Gaga was able to communicate “in a unique way” with co-star Joaquin Phoenix and director Todd Phillips that she was staying in character on set.
“It’s not an understatement to say she lived in Harley 24/7, talking, moving and embracing her weaknesses,” they added.
She interacted with Todd and Joaquin in a unique way, telling them she was basically Harley on set.
A new portrait: An insider from the movie told DailyMail.com exclusively that Gaga vowed to deliver a more layered Quinn, rather than the cartoonish portrayal seen in Margot Robbie’s recent images
Inspirational: Gaga was also moved by Joaquin Phoenix’s Oscar-winning performance, which showcased lead character Arthur Fleck’s mental health journey. in the 2019 movie Joker
‘You rarely see that involvement in this business. It was her process and was breathtaking to watch. It’s a very intimate portrayal, which will resonate with many people’s struggles with mental wellbeing.
Without any disdain for Margot’s performances as Harley, this is a much more psychological adaptation.
Gaga’s Harley is an exploration of the trials and tribulations of modern humanity.
And on top of that, Gaga also had to balance that effort while singing throughout the film.
“As one of our greatest live entertainers, she has always delivered monumental musical performances that resonated with audiences.
“This role takes that skill to a new level, where viewers pick up on the intensity of Harley’s struggles, stress and often deceptive ways.”
The source smiled, “Gaga famously spoke Italian and acted like Patrizia Gucci for House Of Gucci for about a year, but this time it’s next level. People will be utterly shocked and impressed. This is the kind of effort that is Oscar-worthy.”
Memorable: Phoenix seen above in the 2019 film Joker, in which he won the Best Actor Oscar at the 92nd Academy Awards
On a roll: Gaga previously dabbled in method acting as he “spoke Italian and acted like Patrizia Gucci for House Of Gucci for about a year” (seen with Adam Driver playing Patrizia Reggiani)
The film was recently wrapped and on April 6, Gaga shared an official photo of her as Harley in Joker: Folie à Deux.
“That’s a wrap,” Gaga wrote on Instagram, captioning the post “X, Harleen.”
The plot touches on Quinn’s origins from the Batman cartoons.
Her life as a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum, who has been assigned to study the Joker, is turned upside down when she falls in love with him instead.
Fans will have to wait for the film’s release until October 4, 2024.