Lady Gaga wanted to be called ‘Lee’ on ‘Joker 2’ set, says DP: after that, ‘our whole collection changed’

Lady Gaga is once again up to her usual method acting, according to “Joker: Folie à Deux” cinematographer Lawrence Sher.

In a recent podcast interview circulated online, Sher said Lady Gaga’s assistant director asked her to be called “Lee” during production, and it suddenly changed the dynamic of the set.

“I didn’t know Stefani at all,” she said, referring to the ‘Fame Monster’ icon’s first name, “Stefani Germanotta.” “Strangely, I felt like I’d never met her, not even during the hair/makeup tryouts. Because again, maybe that was my philosophy of not trying to get into their space. And then I remember for a week, going, god, I feel like we’re disconnecting. Not even the link. We are like on opposites. And I’d say to my crew, ‘Jesus, I can’t, like, decipher that. Either he hates me or we hate each other. Something strange is happening here.’ I barely said anything except I said, “Stefani, this is where your second team was, little minor stuff,” and then the CEO at one point said, “Oh you know, Stef would love it if you called her Lee on set to.’ And I was like, oh, 100 percent, and I literally said, the next thing I said, it was something “Lee,” and it was like everything changed. From that moment on, it was like she was… our whole connection changed I was like, alright, cool.

Todd Phillips’ sequel to the 2019 blockbuster and Academy Award winner “Joker” will be released in theaters by Warner Bros. Pictures on October 4, 2024.

What does “Lee” mean, who knows. Lady Gaga has spoken at length about her practices on the Method set, from staying in her Italian accent as Patrizia Reggiani for Ridley Scott’s “House of Gucci” to staying in character “for years” as Ally Maine for Ridley Scott’s “A Star Is Born.” 2018 Bradley Cooper.” In ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’, Lady Gaga plays the Joker’s love interest, Harley Quinn. (Get a first look at his character here.) Joaquin Phoenix reprises his Academy Award-winning role as the clown prince of crime.

Plot details for the 2019 film’s sequel remain scarce. It is said to be a musical film centered around Arkham Asylum and its inhabitants – with the cast including Zazie Beetz (returning to her apparently hallucinated neighbor Arthur Fleck from the 2019 film), “Banshees of Inisherin” Oscar nominee Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener in a secret role, Jacob Lofland as an Arkham Asylum inmate, “Industry” prison break Harry Lawtey and more.

Lady Gaga was a 2021 Best Actress nominee for “House of Gucci,” endlessly revealing her training in the Stanislavski and Lee Strasberg methods. She didn’t get the nomination. She’s clearly aiming for awards glory again with her portrayal of her in the ‘Joker’ sequel. She holds an Oscar for Best Original Song for the “A Star Is Born” hit song “Shallow” and moved up in the category last year for “Hold My Hand” from “Top Gun: Maverick.”