Actor Joaquin Phoenix, famous for his role as the Joker in the 2019 psychological thriller directed and co-produced by Todd Phillips, has reprised his role as Arthur Fleck or Joker in 'Joker: Folie a Deux', a sequel to the 2019 film. Recently, Phoenix shared his experience of singing in front of Lady Gaga, who plays Harley Quinn in the movie, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. He humorously recalled, "I do seem to remember her spitting up coffee the first time I sang, so that felt good, that was exciting, and made me feel confident."
Phoenix worked closely with the acclaimed singer of 'Shallow' to create a musical backdrop that enhances the character development in the highly anticipated film. Gaga's encouragement was pivotal, as Phoenix noted, "Gaga was always very encouraging of just, 'Go with what you feel, it's fine'. For somebody who's not a performer in that way, it can be... uncomfortable to do that, but also very exciting."
The significance of music for his character was also highlighted by Phoenix. "It was important to protect that with poor phrasing and occasional bum notes," he added. "Arthur grew up hearing his mother play these songs on the radio. He's not a singer, and he shouldn't sound like a professional singer. He should sound like somebody that's taking a shower and just bursts out into song."
The original 'Joker' was a massive hit, garnering 11 Oscar nominations and winning Best Actor for Joaquin Phoenix and Original Score for Hildur Gudnadottir. It became the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever. In the sequel, Phoenix returns as Joker, and Lady Gaga joins as Harley Quinn, with the film predominantly set in Arkham Asylum. The supporting cast includes Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Jacob Lofland, and Harry Lawtey, with Zazie Beetz reprising her role as Sophie from the first film. The sequel is expected to be a musical, building on Phoenix's dancing scenes from the original, with Todd Phillips again directing.
The sequel to the 2019 'Joker' will hit theaters on October 4, following its premiere at the Venice Film Festival. The original film won the Golden Lion at Venice in 2019, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
