Lady Gaga Reveals New Singing Voice For Harley Quinn In Joker 2
Lady Gaga is known as a bold and eclectic singer, but that’s not all she wanted people to see when they saw her on the big screen playing Harley Quinn in Joker 2. To make sure Harley Quinn stood out, the singer made efforts to change her voice and her singing, getting rid of the skills that only professional singers would have. Her ability took the casting director by surprise, and it gave her the ability to keep up with Joker actor Joaquin Phoenix without upstaging him.
Joker: Folie A Deux
Joker 2 will focus on the dark romance between Harley Quinn, played by Lady Gaga, and the Joker, also known as Arthur Fleck, played by Joaquin Phoenix.
For those who don’t know Joker’s background, this means Arthur Fleck is now institutionalized at Arkham after the crimes he committed as the Joker. During this time, he starts to unravel even more mentally and ends up embracing his Joker persona even more.
Even those who are avid lovers of the Joker and his role in the Batman franchise may be surprised by some of the directions this movie series takes, Especially with Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn.
While right now, the story is somewhat following what fans know, director Todd Phillips said that he is not looking to follow the story people know and love during an interview with Empire, and it’s starting a little in Joker 2.
Not The Joker You’re Used To
“Arthur clearly is not a criminal mastermind,” Phillips said. “He was never that. Arthur has become this symbol to people. This unwilling, unwitting symbol now paying for the crimes of the first film, but at the same time finding the only thing he ever wanted, which was love.”
Because they’re looking to stand out from the story people know and love, they’ve let Lady Gaga have a little more creative freedom when it comes to Harley Quinn in Joker 2.
According to Todd Phillips, “Unlike the first Joker, Joker 2 is set to be more of a musical. The director claims the movie isn’t a full musical, but that music plays a vital role in the film.”
Gaga
Though Lady Gaga wasn’t everyone’s first choice for Harley Quinn in Joker 2, the casting director Francine Maisler isn’t upset about it, according to an interview with IndieWire. She was actually quite surprised by Lady Gaga’s ability, and how well she managed to keep up with Joaquin Phoenix.
Additionally, she was also able to bring the character to life, representing Harley Quinn instead of just simply being Lady Gaga acting as Harley Quinn.
“She’s so good in it, you guys,” Maisler said. “She’s going to blow your mind. I didn’t suggest Lady Gaga. It wasn’t my idea. That was Todd Phillips, before me. But I will tell you, she’s really surprising — and really good.”
Becoming Harley Quinn
Lady Gaga worked hard to make sure that her role in Joker 2 was the best it could be. Like her role as Harley Quinn, the singer views Lady Gaga as just another performance.
To make sure they weren’t viewed as the same person, she changed her style, her behaviors, and even her singing voice.
She put a lot of thought into how Harley Quinn would sing, noting that she wasn’t a practiced singer like Lady Gaga was, and wouldn’t breathe, sing, or hit pitch the same way.
To make her realistic, she adjusted her voice to better sound like a beginner for Joker 2, according to Lady Gaga during an interview with Empire.
Joker 2 Will Be Here Soon
Speaking about her transformation, Gaga said, “People know me by my stage name, Lady Gaga, right? That’s me as that performer, but that is not what this movie is; I’m playing a character.”
It’s not just Lady Gaga’s singing that was impressive either. Phoenix said that when he was first singing on the set of Joker 2, he made Lady Gaga spit out her coffee. “I do seem to remember her spitting up coffee the first time I sang, so that felt good, that was exciting, and made me feel confident.”
If you want to see Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga in action, you don’t have too much longer to wait. Joker 2 is set to release on October 4.
Source: IndieWire
