Joker 2 Set: Lady Gaga’s Surprising Request for a Special On-Set Name Revealed!
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Lady Gaga appears to have gone full method acting again. In the new Joker sequel Folie à Deux, the ‘Poker Face’ singer plays Harley Quinn. Lawrence Sher, the film’s cinematographer, stated in a recent podcast interview that Gaga, whose true name is Stefani Germanotta, was only interested to be called by a certain name on set. He said he didn’t know Stefani at all. “I felt as if I had never met her, especially when it came to makeup and hair tests.” That may have been my concept of not invading their privacy. And then I recall thinking for a week, “God, I feel like we’re disconnecting.” There is no connection. We are diametrically opposed.” “And I’d say to my crew, ‘Jesus, I can’t, like, crack it.'”
‘Joker’ cinematographer Lawrence Sher says Lady Gaga wanted to be called “Lee” on set:
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) July 20, 2023
“I didn’t know Stefani at all… For like a week, I feel like we were, like, disconnecting… And then the AD at one point said, ‘Stef would like if you called her Lee on set… And our whole… pic.twitter.com/KBHu7KMrAu
She either despises me or we despise each other. A strange thing is going on here.” I barely said anything except Stefani, this is where your second team was, a small thing, and the AD responded. ‘Oh you know, Stef would appreciate it if you simply called her Lee on set.'” And I was like, oh, 100%, and the next thing I said was something ‘Lee,’ and “It was as if everything changed.” Her entire presence transformed our relationship. “OK, cool,” I thought. Of course, this isn’t the first time Lady Gaga has completely submerged herself in a character. For nine months, the singer spoke with a Northern Italian accent all day, every day, in order to ‘authentically’ represent Patrizia Reggiani in 2021’s House of Gucci.
In The New Joker Sequel Folie à Deux, The Cast And Crew Were Requested To Call Lady Gaga By A Specific Name On Set
Lady Gaga, the Oscar-winning musician and actress, reportedly wanted to be addressed as “Lee” during filming her role as DC Comics villain Harley Quinn on the set of filmmaker Todd Phillips’ forthcoming blockbuster Joker: Folie à Deux, according to the film’s cinematographer. “I remembered I didn’t know Stefani at all and, strangely, I felt like I had never truly met her, even during the makeup & hair test,” Oscar-nominated director of photography Lawrence Sher said on The Trenches podcast, referring to the A Star Is Born actress’s true name, Stefani Germanotta. “I remember feeling like we were disconnected, rather than connecting. We’ve been on opposite sides for almost a week.” ‘Jesus, I can’t crank it,’ I’d say to my staff. ‘I have a feeling she either despises me or we despise each other, or there’s a strange thing going on here.'” Sher, who won an Academy Award for his work framing returning actor Joaquin Phoenix in 2019’s Joker, said he’d “barely say anything at all” to Gaga at first, aside from “minor little things” on the set — while simultaneously using the name “Stef” to address her.”
And then, at a certain point, the AD said, ‘Oh, you know, Stef would like it if you simply called her Lee on set,’ and I was like, ‘Oh, 100%,’ and…. Suddenly, something ‘Lee’ popped out of my mouth, and everything changed,” Sher said. “It was as if our entire connection changed at that point.” Okay, cool, that’s all I need to know, I thought. That altered everything. Then we finished the film, and there was a lot more of a connection.” Lady Gaga will appear in Phoenix’s Joker sequel in mid-2022, with production finishing this spring. The project is a musical sequel to the previous film, which supposedly follows Harley Quinn and the Joker’s tangled romance while incarcerated at Arkham Asylum. Gaga emerged in paparazzi images taken during filming in New York City wearing a pared-down version of Harley Quinn’s conventional costume, complete with messy clown makeup, stringy blonde hair, a checkered top, a leather skirt, and a scarlet jacket. The first Joker picture was a financial and critical success, earning Phoenix Best Actor at the 2020 Oscars and grossing over $1 billion globally at the movie office.
Taking getting into character to another level I see, oh the actress you are! 😭
— steven ❀ // doja’s favorite 🙂 (@arianaunext) July 21, 2023
— gaga's sour little bitch 🍑 (@Lovegag94477810) July 21, 2023
