In the new movie Joker: Folie à Deux, both Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix sing, but since Gaga is, you know, a Grammy-winning global pop star, she ended up teaching Phoenix a thing or two, says director Todd Phillips.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Phillips says Gaga "100 percent” gave the actor pointers when it came to their musical performances, adding that Phoenix "was sick every day” with nerves about those scenes.
“The truth is, they gave each other pointers. He’d give her pointers about acting; she’s been in movies, but he’s Joaquin Phoenix," Phillips says. "She gave him tips about music because she’s Lady Gaga. It’s what movies should be: a giant collaboration.”
However, Phillips says that Gaga's notes were "a little more specific because it’s like, you’re not hitting the note there. It’s different. There’s less room for interpretation.” As for what Phoenix taught Gaga, Phillips says it took the form of him "being really generous" with his vulnerability in certain scenes.
But if there's so much singing in the film, why was Phillips hesitant to call it a musical? He tells EW, "I love musicals, and the movie definitely has music in it. It might even be a musical."
However, he notes, "Most of the times I’ve ever seen a musical, I walk out feeling better than I did when I walked in. On this movie, I’m not sure it’s the same thing. I wouldn’t want to be misleading and say you’re going to be whistling the songs from this movie on the way to your car after you see it."
Gaga and her fiancé, Michael Polansky, attended the premiere of Joker: Folie à Deux in London on Wednesday. It arrives in theaters Oct. 4.