Joker: Folie à Deux Director Reveals How Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga Helped Each Other on Sets; ‘It’s What Movies Should Be’

As a die-hard fan of Todd Phillips and the Joker franchise, I am absolutely thrilled about the upcoming sequel, Joker: Folie a Deux! The insight into the behind-the-scenes collaboration between Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga is simply captivating.


In the upcoming month, the follow-up to the 2019 movie “Joker,” titled “Folie a Deux,” will be shown in cinemas. Director Todd Phillips recently chatted with Entertainment Weekly before the film’s premiere.

During the interview, he talked about the movie and shared insights on its blend of dark thriller and comedy elements, as well as Joaquin Phoenix’s daily challenges while rehearsing for their duet singing scenes with Lady Gaga. Speaking to a media outlet, the director disclosed that the lead actor faced a significant daily preparation process for these scenes.

Phillips pointed out that besides facing challenges, both Gaga and Phoenix offered guidance to one another on perfecting their performances for specific scenes in the film.

In a recent statement, the director shared, “In truth, they mutually offered advice. He, being Joaquin Phoenix, provided her with acting suggestions since she’s Lady Gaga. On the other hand, she shared music guidance due to his film background. It’s all about teamwork in movies – making it a grand collective effort.” He also mentioned that the actor subtly suggested Lady Gaga to be more expressive during their scenes by simply encouraging her to add more depth to her performances.

For the esteemed Grammy winner, “the criticisms she received were about making her tones a bit more precise since, as the director pointed out, she wasn’t quite striking that particular note. Instead, it required a distinct approach, with less flexibility for personal interpretation.

As the discussion progressed, it was disclosed that the director had personally selected the tunes for Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix, who portray Harley Quinn and Arthur Fleck in the film.

In other words, the director pointed out that by concentrating purely on the characters and their relationship, rather than the overall mood or plot of the film, they chose to include soft melodies for the pair to serenade each other during certain scenes, since these characters were involved in a romantic tale.

He expressed, “I’m not certain if it was the initial occasion that Frank Sinatra encountered someone dependent on him. However, when Arthur performs it, there’s no doubt. The interpretation is unique – and in many aspects, it’s more emotionally charged.

Regarding Joker 2, Joaquin Phoenix is set to return as Arthur Fleck, having won an Academy Award for his outstanding performance in the first film.

The movie will release in theaters on October 4.

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2024-09-25 19:37