Lady Gaga gives a sneak peek into Joker 2, Harley Quinn performance and preparation

Lady Gaga shared a sneak peek of her "very authentic" interpretation of the character of Harley Quinn for the upcoming Joker 2 film, Joker: Folie a Deux. The singer-actress talked about the exclusivity of her version of the comics-spawned character in the long-awaited sequel.

While appearing in an interview with Access Hollywood to promote the Lady Gaga Chromatica Ball movie for HBO, the singer-actress teased a unique take on the iconic villain. When asked about what she can share regarding her Harley Quinn transformation for Joker 2, whom she prefers addressing as “Lee,” she mentioned bringing something “brand new.” She said:

“You know, Lee is very special to me. She’s a truly vulnerable, sweet person. My version of Harley is mine, and it's very authentic to this movie and these characters.”

While the Rain on Me singer mentioned that she didn’t want to spoil the film for the fans by sharing too much, she also gave a little sneak peek about what viewers can expect from Joker 2. She continued:

“This film has music, it has dance, it has amazing acting in it.”

Gaga also referenced her co-star in the interview, Joaquin Phoenix who plays the character of Joker, and their director for the upcoming movie.

“I love working with Joaquin. I love working with Todd [Phillips]. What I will say is that I’ve never done anything like I’ve done in this movie before, so it’s all going to be completely brand new and really fun.”

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A look at Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn in Joker 2 so far

The first full trailer for the Joker 2 movie directed by Todd Phillips debuted during CinemaCon in April, and it confirmed a few things about Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn.

Gaga's Quinn getting a different origin story from other depictions of the DC character so far. Contrary to previous versions of the Joker’s first love, Lady Gaga’s “Lee” in Joker: Folie a Deux is not Arthur Fleck’s (Joaquin Phoenix) doctor, but instead is another patient in Arkham State Hospital. As seen in the trailer, the two develop an unlikely connection and ultimately break out of the asylum.

The upcoming movie is also set to explore a different story between the Joker and Harley Quinn, particularly their destructive connection. The movie’s subtitle, Folie a Deux, loosely translates as “madness together” and refers to a psychiatric disorder referring to “shared psychosis” between two closely connected people.

Best known for her “method acting techniques,” which Lady Gaga has previously mentioned during Variety’s Actors on Actors conversation with Jake Gyllenhaal, she’s admitted to staying in character for months or even years at a time. The House of Gucci star is expected to use the same technique in preparation for Harley Quinn in Joker 2.

Lawrence Sher, a cinematographer who has worked on both Joker films, has talked about the A Star Is Born actress during an appearance at The Trenches podcast in 2023. He recalled the actress barely talking to him, which made him think she hated him. Later on, an assistant director told him to address Lady Gaga as “Lee,” short for Harley. Once he started addressing Lady Gaga as “Lee,” their relationship on set changed.

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The upcoming Joker 2 movie, better known as Joker: Folie a Deux is expected to hit theaters in October 2024.