In 2019, “Joker” grossed more than a billion dollars at the box office and earned Joaquin Phoenix an Oscar. The American actor therefore puts on his schizophrenic failed clown costume in “Joker: Folie à Deux”, in theaters on October 2, 2024. Interned in Arkham asylum while awaiting trial for his crimes, Arthur Fleck falls there in love with Lee, aka Harley Quinn, played by Lady Gaga. A sad, tender and lit romance set against a backdrop of hallucinatory musical numbers. Interview.
How did you prepare mentally to take on this role?
Oddly enough, my preparation was first physical, working on songs and musical numbers. I remember practicing tap dancing and it really started with the songs. That’s what guided me this time.
What have you learned from Lady Gaga?
At first, she suggested that we sing live. I said I couldn’t because I wasn’t good enough. And then we realized that I shouldn’t be comfortable singing because Arthur is like a child trying to express romantic feelings that he can’t understand. So we recorded everything live like she suggested and I was really good.
What advice did you give him in return?
I think it was hard for her to give up that powerful voice of hers and approach singing from her character’s point of view. I told him, “We all know you can rock the house playing any of these songs. But how would Lee sing? Find the emotion first.”
How long have you been training to dance?
I worked with Michael Arnold, who was the choreographer for the first film. I don’t remember exactly how long, but we worked hard, two hours a day for months for twenty seconds of screen time. I found it very difficult to move my feet in unusual ways.
According to Todd Phillips, the film’s director, you felt bad on set about singing and dancing. Was it that painful?
Sometimes, and then other times it was fun. For the two weeks leading up to filming the waltz on the roof of the building and the scene where I tap dance, we didn’t have time to breathe. At break time, we would practice dance routines. It was exhausting but there was also something stimulating and exhilarating about it.
Your character’s quest for identity, the celebrity that surrounds him, are these subjects that speak to you?
These themes speak to everyone. We all present a certain image in public while striving to discover who we really are. What I loved about this movie is that upon meeting Lee, Arthur reflects on who he is and his actions. At the end of the first part, he had faded behind Joker. Accepting how we function and making our way in society, as well as the consequences of our actions, is a subject that deserves to be explored in this sequel.
