‘Joker’: Lady Gaga on Creating Alternate Personas & When Stefani Became Gaga

Lady Gaga sat down with “Good Day Chicago’s” Jake Hamilton to talk “Joker: Folie à Deux.” 

She spoke about how her character Harley Quinn creates an alternate personality to protect herself, something she did when Stefani Germanotta became Lady Gaga. 

“I'm sure it's no secret why I was interested in making this movie,” she said. “Having an alternate personality that protects you is so much of what ‘Joker’ is about.”

Gaga said of her character, “Harley ultimately comes out of a broken place in this movie. It is kind of the beginning of her in that way.”

As for how she created the Lady Gaga persona, she said, “It was when something really bad happened to me when I was a kid, and I think that that, like, made me create a persona.” 

So where does Stefani stop and Lady Gaga begin? “I would just say I'm all of it, it's all the real me,” adding, “I definitely have played with artifice. I love costumes. I think makeup can be a fascinating way to express yourself.”

Jake had to ask what her Harley would do if she ever encountered Batman, Gaga said with a laugh, “She would probably light him on fire.”