Lady Gaga “lost a lot of weight” to play Harley Quinn in ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’

Joaquin Phoenix has said Lady Gaga “lost a lot of weight” to play Harley Quinn in Joker: Folie à Deux.

The follow up to 2019’s Joker, which is out on October 4, was premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival earlier today (September 4).

During a press conference, Phoenix said that much like 2019’s Joker, he was on a strict diet.

“I’m not going to talk through specifics of the diet, because I just think nobody wants to hear that. But this time, it felt a bit more complicated just because there was so much dance rehearsal that we were doing, which I didn’t have last time,” Phoenix said (via Variety).

“So it felt a bit more difficult, but it is safe. But you’re right, I’m now 49, I probably shouldn’t do this again. This is probably it for me.”

He then said that his co-star also lost a lot of weight for her role as Harley Quinn.

Phoenix added: “Stefani also lost a lot of weight. I remember when I first met you in rehearsals and then you went away and when you came back, you lost a lot of weight. It was really impressive.”

Whie Gaga did not directly address the subject, she went on: “I think we transformed into our characters over a period of time and we continued to hone in every kind of detail.”

The first reactions to Joker: Folie à Deux hailed the Todd Phillips musical sequel with some going as far to say it is the “movie of the year”.

Yesterday (September 3), a new clip was shared showing Quinn singing ‘Get Happy’ from the 1950 Judy Garland-starring film Summer Stock to Joaquin Phoenix‘s Arthur Fleck.

Last month, director Todd Phillips suggested the Folie à Deux will be the final film in his Joker franchise: “It was fun to play in this sort of sandbox for two movies, but I think we’ve said what we wanted to say in this world.”

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