Joaquin Phoenix applauded Lady Gaga for her physical transformation into Harley Quinn while promoting their upcoming film “Joker: Folie à Deux.”
The 49-year-old actor was discussing his own weight loss for the film during a Venice Film Festival press conference Wednesday when he praised Gaga, who’s real name is Stefani Germanotta.
“Stefani also lost a lot of weight,” Phoenix said, according to Variety. “I remember when I first met you in rehearsals and then you went away for like a month and then you came back, you lost a lot of weight.”
He added, “It was really impressive. It seemed very difficult.”
The “Die With A Smile” singer thanked Phoenix before adding, “I think we transformed into our characters over a period of time and we continued to hone in every kind of detail.”
Earlier in the press conference, Phoenix — who plays the film’s titular role — shut down inquiries on the diet he maintained to lose weight for the film’s sequel.
“I’m not going to talk through specifics of the diet, because I just think nobody wants to hear that,” he said, noting that this time around it was a more “complicated” experience.
“It felt a bit more complicated just because there was so much dance rehearsal that we were doing, which I didn’t have last time,” Phoenix explained. “So it felt a bit more difficult, but it is safe.”
The Oscar winner then revealed he likely won’t take on roles that require weight loss in the future.
“But you’re right, I’m now 49, I probably shouldn’t do this again,” he said. “This is probably it for me.”
Phoenix also explained that he didn’t focus on a “specific weight” in order to avoid an “obsession” over it.
“I know I was responsible last time for talking about it, but it’s difficult to do so that becomes your obsession because you’re working the entire time to get to a certain weight,” Phoenix, who famously lost 52 pounds to play Arthur Fleck in the first “Joker” film, said.
“So then you end up talking about it, and then it just sounds like an actor going on and on about how much weight they lost,” he continued.
The “Her” star even admitted to being “sick” of himself after the last press tour for “Joker.”
“By the end of that run I was so sick of myself and angry at myself for making such a big deal about that part, because you just do what you’re f–king supposed to do,” Phoenix quipped. “So this time I was like, ‘I’m not going to do that.’”
This is not the first time that the Gaga’s appearance generated conversation in recent years. In May 2023, fans called Gaga “unrecognizable” under a TikTok video she shared.
At the time, Gaga, 38, was promoting her makeup line, Haus Labs, when fans grew concerned over her transformation.
“This might not be lady gaga?? am i crazy,” one fan wrote, while another chimed in with, “almost didn’t recognize.”
“Joker: Folie à Deux” hits theaters on Oct. 4.
