As a die-hard fan of Lady Gaga and the DC universe, I have to say that the news about her portrayal of Harley Quinn in “Joker: Folie á Deux” has me absolutely thrilled! The fact that she drew inspiration from the infamous Charles Manson for her character is both chilling and intriguing. It’s clear that Gaga is not holding back, and I can’t wait to see how she transforms herself into this darker, more twisted version of Harley.
After the release of the official trailer for “Joker: Folie à Deux”, viewers have been treated to additional glimpses of pop sensation and actress Lady Gaga portraying Harley Quinn. As per director Todd Phillips, her performance on set was especially inspired by a rather grim influence.
In an interview with Empire Magazine (as reported by IndieWire), director Todd Phillips shared that Lady Gaga drew inspiration from one of America’s notorious serial killers, Charles Manson, while portraying Harley. Although there may be some similarities recognizable to viewers, Phillips emphasized that Lady Gaga’s performance will be uniquely her own and significantly different from traditional depictions, as she utilized the dark inspiration provided by Manson.
The director of the “Hangover” trilogy explained, “She resembled how Charles Manson attracted his female admirers. Sometimes, even imprisoned murderers have followers who idolize them. In our movie, certain aspects of Harley were inspired by the comics, but we shaped it according to our creative vision.”
In a different part of the interview, Francie Maisler, the casting director, emphasized that the portrayal of Harley Quinn by Lady Gaga is expected to captivate audiences, although she did not propose this idea herself. “I didn’t propose Lady Gaga,” Maisler shared, adding that it was Todd Phillips who came up with the idea before her. However, she went on to say that Gaga has proven to be quite impressive and skilled in the role. “[Gaga] is going to leave you amazed.”
Lady Gaga recently revealed that she transformed herself to play Harley Quinn
As a devoted fan, I understand concerns about Harley Quinn, or “Lee” as her portrayer calls her, seemingly mirroring Lady Gaga too closely. However, fear not! In an interview with Empire Magazine, reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Lady Gaga herself clarified that she intentionally altered her singing voice for this role. She explained, “People know me as Lady Gaga, my stage name, but that’s not who I am in this movie; I’m playing a character.” Gaga shared that she put in significant effort to adapt her singing style to embody Lee, rather than relying on her own performance persona.
It’s been disclosed by Lady Gaga that she put in significant effort to ensure “Lee” isn’t exceptionally skilled in singing. As she stated, “There are quite a few off-key notes from Lee,” the star explained. Being a professionally trained singer, her breathing technique was different when she sang as Lee. While on stage, she controls her breath to maintain pitch and rhythm, but Lee lacked such technical knowledge. This meant stripping away the technical aspects of singing and focusing solely on who Lee is. Lady Gaga is renowned for fully embodying her characters—for instance, during “House of Gucci,” she adopted an Italian accent and lived as Patrizia Reggiani for nine months—but altering her vocal abilities, a crucial aspect of her craft as a performer, represents a considerable departure from the norm.
Joker: Folie á Deux will introduce viewers to a brand new take on Harley Quinn
In the 2019 movie “Joker”, Joaquin Phoenix portrayed the well-known DC Comics antagonist, Arthur Fleck, a distressed individual with multiple severe mental health issues, not receiving adequate care or assistance. After instigating chaos in Gotham City, Arthur is apprehended and transferred to Arkham Asylum. In the trailer for “Joker: Folie á Deux”, it’s disclosed that Arthur interacts with Harley Quinn while she works as a music therapist there. It appears that Arthur manipulates Harley, who subsequently becomes his accomplice as more people demand his release from custody.
Fans will need to exercise patience for a bit longer to witness Phoenix reprising his role as Arthur, who won his first Academy Award for this character during the 2020 awards ceremony, alongside Lady Gaga’s portrayal of Harley Quinn. According to Gaga’s statements, their joint appearance in “Joker: Folie á Deux” will present an unprecedented spectacle. The film is set to premiere in theaters on October 4, 2024.
Should you, or someone close to you, be in need of mental health assistance, please consider reaching out to the Crisis Text Line by texting “HOME” to 741741. Alternatively, you can call the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) helpline at 1-800-950-6264, or explore resources on the National Institute of Mental Health’s website.
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2024-08-12 16:59