Her birth certificate may say Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, but most of us know her as Lady Gaga. The American singer, songwriter and actress is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility – and, of course, award-winning work on the big screen. She is one of the world’s best-selling music artists, with accolades including 13 Grammys, two Golden Globes, 18 MTV Video Music Awards, being recognized as Billboard’s Artist of the Year and more. Even before news broke that she will soon hit the silver screen as an infamous comic book character, people were already seeing Gaga as the iconic Harley Quinn.
For those not in the know, Harley Quinn is a DC Comics character who first appeared as a henchman for Batman’s supervillain, the Joker. She became a recurring character in the DC Animated Universe as the Joker’s sidekick and love interest, and was later adapted into DC Comics’ Batman comic book canon. In Harley’s origin story, she plays a former psychiatrist in Gotham named Dr. Harleen Quinzel, who eventually falls in love with the Joker, her patient, eventually becoming his accomplice and lover.
We last saw it Gaga performing at the Oscars earlier this year. Then heads turned, and the internet was abuzz when those Gaga photos of the Joker: Folie à Deux set of cases. And as the moviewraps production, we took a closer look at why Gaga would be a perfect Harley. See below for our list of reasons.
Gaga’s history of playing eccentric characters
By American Horror Story: Hotel Unpleasant House of Gucci, Gaga is no stranger to personas that require the same amount of wacky energy as eccentrics like Harley Quinn. Gaga portrayed the self-proclaimed countess and carrier of a blood virus in the fifth season of Ryan Murphy’s popular FX series. In HotelGaga also plays the reenacted Scáthach, an evil old witch, in the in-universe documentary “My Roanoke Nightmare” in the sixth season, Roanoke. Gaga’s role as “The Countess” caused controversy among fans and critics alike, who praised her or compared her to Jessica Lange, who left the series last year. However, there’s no denying that Gaga’s turn was dizzying and just the sort of prep work needed before taking on Harley Quinn in Todd Phillips’ next film. joker feature film starring Joaquin Phoenix.
Then there was Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci, to say the least, another divisive film. The plot is inspired by the shocking true story of the family behind the Italian fashion empire. We see Patrizia Reggiani (Gaga), an outsider with humble beginnings, marries into the Gucci family with boundless ambition that begins to unravel the family legacy and set off a reckless spiral of betrayal, decadence, revenge – and murder. Jared Leto may have gotten a Razzie nod for his controversial approach to his assigned Gucci character, but Gaga steals every scene she stars in as the lead in this high-profile project. She’s a dominant on-screen presence that perfectly complements the attention-stealing Harley Quinn.
Triple Threat (acting, singing, dancing)
As shown in A star is born, Gaga can carry a movie simply by acting alone – regardless of her musical talents. Bradley Cooper’s 2018 Oscar-winning remake of the classic tale follows veteran musician Jackson Maine (Cooper) as he discovers and falls in love with struggling artist Ally (Gaga). In the movie, Ally has pretty much given up on her dream of making it big as a singer; that is, until Jackson turns the spotlight on her. But as Ally’s career takes off, the personal side of their relationship crumbles, while Jackson battles his own internal demons.
“I still feel Ally inside me,” Gaga once said Billboard amid the film’s release. “I wonder how long she’ll stay. Or that she will stay there forever.’ Anyway, A star is born will be remembered for generations and cement Gaga’s place in Hollywood as a leading actress. We already knew she could sing and perform, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for her Joker: Folie a Deux. Those familiar with Harley Quinn’s previous appearances (e.g. Margot Robbie) know that she is a character that requires utmost dedication. And with Gaga’s triple threat chops, we can rest assured she’ll take it.
Fearless presence on stage and screen
Gaga calls herself a perfectionist when it comes to her elaborate shows. Critics have analyzed her musical and performance style over the years as she has boldly experimented with new ideas and imagery throughout her career. She combines a variety of music genres and has also branched out into jazz and other non-pop music genres.
Gaga is regarded by high-profile publications and magazines as one of the greatest living musical artists. Remember her blood-soaked performance of “Paparazzi” at the 2009 MTV VMAs? That was a spectacle to say the least. Then, two years later at the VMAs, Gaga appeared in cross-dressing as a male alter ego, delivering an edgy monologue to her musical number. Knowing Harley Quinn’s violent track record, Gaga’s boundary-pushing style seems to fit the role perfectly.
They both dress to kill
As seen in comics and on film, Harley Quinn’s outfits are unforgettable. And now comes in Gaga, who loves fashion immensely and says it has a big influence on her artistic work. She has said that she really liked Cher’s unique fashion sense growing up, and Gaga also considers designer Donatella Versace to be her muse.
It’s also interesting to note that Gaga was influenced by Princess Diana (via MTV). Lady Di pushed the boundaries in her royal position before her death, and her fashion sense is still remembered all over the world. Gaga dresses to kill, both in real life and in her past film projects. So it’s no surprise that she got her hands on the reins of Harley Quinn, and we have no doubt she’ll bring a unique twist to the role. The Joker: Folie à Deux on-set photos we’ve seen so far are proof enough!