Lady Gaga was apparently so dumbstruck by Joaquin Phoenix' singing that she did a spit take.
"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 quipped in an interview with Empire.
But on a more serious note, "Gaga was always very encouraging of just, 'Go with what you feel, it’s fine,'" he added. "For somebody who’s not a performer in that way, it can be... uncomfortable to do that, but also very exciting."
So why was Phoenix singing in front of multi-Grammy-winning international popstar Lady Gaga, you ask? Well, the two costar in upcoming movie Joker: Folie À Deux, with Phoenix as the Joker, and Gaga as Harley Quinn.
Phoenix' Joker—reprised from the 2019 Joker—will sing showtunes as a way to bring to life his character's love of music, while still embodying what makes the Joker, well, the Joker. "It was important to protect that with poor phrasing and occasional bum notes," Phoenix told Empire.
"Arthur [Fleck, the Joker's real name] 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 much-anticipated movie also stars Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener and Zazie Beetz, and is set for release on Oct. 4.
