Lady Gaga TalksJoker: Folie À Deux's 'Rough and Tough Energy' in Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Video

Mar. 15, 2025

Lady GagawowedJoaquin Phoenixand directorTodd Phillipson the set ofJoker: Folie À Deux.

“It was a very special experience,” the Oscar winner says in the clip. “I had never seen a world created like that before.”

Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix in Joker: Folie À Deux.Niko Tavernise

Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix in the Joker: Folie A Deux

Niko Tavernise

“She easily slipped into that world. It’s not like she’s trying to be Harley Quinn from the comic books; she’s Lee in this world,” Phillips says of Gaga’s performance. Phoenix, meanwhile, was impressed with Gaga’s work ethic on set.

“I found her to be without ego and had such a fierce determination. She would get right in with us,” he says of Gaga, whose character finds love with Phoenix’s own Arthur Fleck in the sequel. “She understood that there had to be a rawness to the character. There’s not a lot of actors that are comfortable working in that way.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The new behind-the-scenes clip comes afterFolie À Deuxmade itsworld premiereat theVenice Film Festivalon Sept. 4. Gaga, Phoenix and Phillips were all on hand in Italy to debut the long-awaited sequel. Aside from its leading actors, the film also costarsBrendan Gleeson,Catherine KeenerandZazie Beetz, who reprises her role from the 2019 original.

“It brought out all of that rough and tough energy and how big these dreams were, and how far they would fall,” Gaga adds of her performance in the video.

Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga in the Joker: Folie A Deux

“Joker: Folie À Deuxfinds Arthur Fleck institutionalized at Arkham awaiting trial for his crimes as Joker,” reads an official synopsis for the upcoming movie. “While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur not only stumbles upon true love, but also finds the music that’s always been inside him.”

Joker: Folie À Deuxis in theaters Oct. 4.

source: people.com