Lady Gaga is opening up about her interpretation of Harley Quinn and how her own life experiences influenced her take on the iconic comic book character in Joker: Folie à Deux.
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| Lady Gaga October 2024 Vogue Photoshoot. Ethan James Green/Vogue |
The Grammy-winning star spoke with Vogue for its October cover story, just ahead of the release of Todd Phillips' highly anticipated film, where she stars alongside Joaquin Phoenix as Joker/Arthur Fleck. In the interview, Gaga shared how her portrayal of Harley Quinn took on a personal dimension.
"Harley Quinn is a character that people recognize from the broader landscape of pop culture," she told the magazine. "My approach to creating her was different, rooted in my own experiences with mania and internal chaos — for me, that manifests as a quietness.
Women are often labeled as overly emotional, and when we’re overwhelmed, we’re seen as erratic or unhinged. But I started to wonder: when reality shatters and we’re pushed too far, what if it leads to…silence?"
She continued, "I would describe my process as working from a sense-memory perspective: What does it feel like to move through life while constantly being... braced, in an intense way? And what happens when you mask all the complexities simmering beneath the surface?"
The Oscar winner also shared insights into her relationship with fiancé Michael Polansky, whom she recently accompanied to the Venice Film Festival for the Joker: Folie à Deux world premiere. Gaga revealed that her mother met him before she did and had a feeling her daughter would marry him one day.
Reflecting on the beginning of their relationship, which started just before COVID-19 lockdowns swept the country, Gaga described the experience as "really kind of special." Quarantining together for over a year gave her a chance to step back from her career and fully invest in her relationship.
"It was incredibly painful to witness how deeply the pandemic affected the world," she said. "Not just the illness and the deaths, but also how so many people were left alone. I'm incredibly grateful that I wasn’t alone. I had never met anyone like Michael. He's so intelligent and kind. Our lives are very different, but he's a private person and isn't with me for any reason other than that we are right for each other."
She shared that she wants her fans to know how happy and healthy she feels now, especially since the last time they heard from her was during the release of Chromatica, which she described as "an absolutely horrible time" in her life.
“I was in a very dark place,” said the A Star Is Born Oscar nominee. “I had struggled for years before that. But everything started to shift. I had a true friend who could see why I was unhappy and wasn’t afraid to genuinely hold my hand and really get to know me on a deep level.”
In addition to Joker: Folie à Deux, Gaga recently released a song with Bruno Mars titled "Die With a Smile" and has a new album on the way, currently referred to as LG7. The full album is set to drop in February, with a single from the pop album coming in October. She also hinted at a secret music project in the works.
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| Lady Gaga October 2024 Vogue Cover. Ethan James Green/Vogue |
Elsewhere in the interview, Gaga took a moment to praise fellow artists like Taylor Swift, Charli XCX, Chappell Roan, Billie Eilish, and Kesha.
“I absolutely love them. I go online and, like, cry... I watch it all and think: Yup. Go! Just Go,” she said, tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m not just cheering them on; I want them to know my heart is with them. I want them all to feel truly happy.”