‘Joker’ sequel cinematographer says Lady Gaga wanted to be called ‘Lee’ on set: ‘I didn’t know Stefani at all’

Christopher Rosen
·3 min read
11
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Lady Gaga, the Oscar-winning musician and actress, was so committed to her performance in the upcoming “Joker: Folie a Deux” that she answered to another name during the production.

During an interview with “The Trenches Talk” podcast, Oscar-nominated cinematographer Lawrence Sher revealed that Lady Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, remained a mystery to him during the “Joker” sequel – so much so that he thought their relationship was strained.

More from GoldDerby

“I didn’t know Stefani at all,” he said. “Strangely, I felt like I never even met her, even during the makeup/hair tests. Because again, maybe it was my philosophy of not trying to get in their space. And then I remember for a week, being like, god, I feel like we are disconnecting. Not even connecting. We are like on opposites. And I would say to my crew, ‘Jesus, I can’t, like, crack it. She either hates me or we hate each other. There’s something weird going on here.’ I barely said anything, except I would say, ‘Stefani, this is where your second team was,’ minor little things, and then the AD at one point said, ‘Oh you know, Stef would like if you just called her Lee on set.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, 100 percent,’ and I literally said, the next thing I said, was something ‘Lee,’ and it was like everything changed. From that point on, it was like she was… our whole connection changed. I was like, alright, cool.”

“Joker: Folie a Deux” is director Todd Phillips’s sequel to the blockbuster smash “Joker.” The R-rated 2019 film was an Oscars monster, receiving 11 total nominations including Best Picture, Best Director for Phillips, and Best Actor for star Joaquin Phoenix. Phoenix and composer Hildur Gudnadottir both won Oscars for the film. The sequel added Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn (Harley = Lee?) and will likely have some musical elements. “Joker: Folie a Deux” is set to debut in theaters on October 4, 2024.

Lady Gaga is no stranger to a profoundly immersive performance style. During press for 2021’s vastly underrated “House of Gucci,” Lady Gaga explained that she spent nine months speaking with an Italian accent to understand her character better.

PREDICT the 2024 Oscar nominees through January 23

Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Don’t miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why?

SIGN UP for Gold Derby’s free newsletter with latest predictions

Best of GoldDerby

Sign up for Gold Derby's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.