According to “Joker: Folie à Deux” cinematographer Lawrence Sher, Lady Gaga is up to her regular Method acting antics once more.
Lawrence Sher, the cinematographer for the Joker movie, claimed on The Trenches Talk podcast that the singer/actress didn’t want to go by her stage name or her birth name, Stefani Germanotta, on the set of the film.
According to the cameraman, the A Star Is Born actress, who is known for her unconventional acting techniques, decided to go by the name Lee, which is apparently an homage to her character Harley Quinn.
“I didn’t know Stefani at all,” he said, referring to the “Fame Monster” icon’s born name, “Stefani Germanotta.” “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 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 it 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.”
Todd Phillips’ sequel to the 2019 blockbuster and Oscar-winning sensation “Joker” will be released in theatres on October 4, 2024, by Warner Bros.
Who knows what “Lee” implies? Short for “Harley Quinn” for sure. Lady Gaga has been public about her method set practices for a long time, from remaining in character as Patrizia Reggiani for Ridley Scott’s “House of Gucci” to keeping in character “for years” as Ally Maine for Bradley Cooper’s 2018 “A Star Is Born.”
In “Joker: Folie a Deux,” Lady Gaga plays Harley Quinn, the Joker’s love interest. (Here’s a first peek at her character.) Joaquin Phoenix returns as the clown prince of crime, reprising his Oscar-winning portrayal.
Lady Gaga was a hoped-for Best Actress nominee in 2021 for “House of Gucci,” revealing on the press trail ad nauseam her Stanislavski and Lee Strasberg training.
With her performance in the “Joker” sequel, she is certainly aiming for another Oscar win. She won an Oscar for Best Original Song for “A Star Is Born” blockbuster tune “Shallow,” and she was nominated last year for “Hold My Hand” from “Top Gun: Maverick.”
The plot of the planned film is unknown which is directed by Todd Phillips, however, it has been described as a drama with musical elements set in and around Arkham Asylum.
Joker: Folie a Deux, featuring Joaquin Phoenix in the titular role, is set to open in theatres on October 4, 2022.