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After Joaquin Phoenix‘s take on the Joker became a cultural phenomenon, DC Films was going to need to get a big name to play his paramour, Harley Quinn, for Joker: Folie à Deux. They got Lady Gaga to play the iconic villain — and that casting only makes sense in the abstract. Here’s a look at why Gaga’s previous films and television shows are a mark against her casting.

As an actor, Lady Gaga isn’t as over the top as ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ could be

The “Shallow” singer is one of the greatest pop stars of all time. The main reason she’s so cool is that she’s so over-the-top. Her costumes, choreography, and songs are all out of this world. On the surface, her uniqueness would make her a perfect fit to play a comic book villain. However, she’s very different as an actor.

Gaga is a talented actor, but she’s a surprisingly restrained actor. In her magnum opus, A Star Is Born, she plays a down-to-earth singer. The “Bad Romance” singer is the only recurring cast member of American Horror Story who consistently underacts her roles. She showed off an awkward Italian accent in House of Gucci, but she still downplayed the eccentricities of the heiress Patrizia Reggiani. 

Lady Gaga isn’t necessarily a good choice for a musical

Of course, comic book characters are elastic. Their personalities can vary wildly based on who is writing their lines. Maybe the creators of Joker: Folie à Deux want to create a toned-down version of Harley Quinn. That would be odd, given that the movie is a musical. Musicals are supposed to be artificial! Gaga has a great singing voice, but nobody should be cast as a lead character in a musical based on singing talent alone.

In addition, Phoenix’s performance as the Joker is full-throated, so there’s no reason to believe that the creators of Joker: Folie à Deux want to take things down a notch for the sequel. Maybe Gaga will overact for the first time in her life. It’s not clear she knows how to do that.

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The casting director of ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ raved about the pop star

Of course, the “Applause” singer has her defenders. During a 2024 interview with IndieWire, casting director Francine Maisler praise Gaga’s performance in the movie. “She’s so good in it, you guys,” she said. “She’s going to blow your mind.” 

Maisler gave someone else credit for casting the pop superstar in the movie. “I didn’t suggest Lady Gaga,” she recalled. “It wasn’t my idea. That was [director] Todd Phillips, before me. But I will tell you, she’s really surprising — and really good. I saw it and I was really surprised. I mean, we all knew what she could do in A Star Is Born, but I thought, ‘Oh, well, that’s kind of in her wheelhouse.’ Something she could do and just be real. But this … Man, she’s good.”

Maisler compared Gaga to Phoenix. “Joaquin blows your mind, but that she could keep up with him, and be real — and not just wiped off the screen by what that role is and what the performance is — shows she’s good,” Maisler added.

Gaga doesn’t seem like the right choice for Joker: Folie à Deux but she can always surprise us.

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