Cats, foxes and panthers: Lady Gaga’s animalistic approach to method acting
Lady Gaga’s acting career has been a story of highs and lows. She turned heads in Bradley Cooper’s version of A Star is Born, earning herself an Oscar nomination for ‘Best Actress’ and a win for ‘Best Original Song’. However, more recently, she turned up in the much-derided Joker 2, doing a less-than-reputable job as a singing, dancing Harley Quinn. Then there’s House of Gucci.
Released in 2021, this Ridley Scott-helmed flick follows the family behind the blockbuster fashion house and the incredible story behind the death of its head, Maurizio Gucci. Gaga plays Patrizia Reggiani, wife of Maurizio (Adam Driver) and the woman who hires a hitman to kill him. It sounds like a good idea for a plot, but sadly, the finished product failed to deliver. House of Gucci became a massive joke, especially when it came to Jared Leto’s ridiculous portrayal of Paolo Gucci. His ‘Italian’ accent made Super Mario sound like Sophia Loren.
When all was said and done, Gaga missed out on any serious awards for this performance. She was nominated for a BAFTA, but the Academy completely passed her over. This had to have stung, not only because the singer was coming off the back of such an acclaimed movie a few years earlier, but also because she put a lot of work into this character. A lot of very weird work.
They call it ‘using the animal,’” Gaga said to the New York Times whilst describing her process behind crafting Patrizia. “I began as a house cat, which has this kind of alluring quality but also can be a bit aloof, and I used that with her physicality. Then she transforms when she sees Aldo embrace Maurizio… In that scene, I made the choice to transform from a cat into a fox… then, when [a Gucci lawyer] comes to my daughter’s school to serve me divorce papers – meaning Maurizio didn’t have the courage to do it himself – I transform from a fox into a panther.”
Animal work has long been a part of method acting. Performers study a particular creature, mimic their movements, and then try to apply them to the character they’re playing. Marlon Brando channelled a gorilla for his role as Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire, while Jim Carrey said that Ace Ventura was inspired by “a parakeet or a cockatiel—a fancy, cocky, male bird.” Interestingly, he also mentioned that Anthony Hopkins told him he was also a fan of this technique. “Sir Anthony said, ‘Oh, my God, that’s what I did with Hannibal Lecter. I was a tarantula and a crocodile.’”
Explaining why she chose the panther as Patrizia’s final animal form, Gaga said that she saw the former socialite, who was convicted of killing her husband in 1998, as a survivor. “She was never as prestigious or shiny or tailored as the Guccis,” she elaborated. “There was always something about her that was a little bit embarrassing and a little bit off. This is a woman that wants more for herself, but in my opinion, all of her power is really an illusion, the way patriarchy is endlessly an illusion.”
Patrizia served 18 years in prison before her release in 2016. She criticised Gaga for not contacting her while preparing for the part, and the rest of Gucci also wholeheartedly rejected the movie when it came out. Sadly, despite its lead’s intense preparations, nothing could save House of Gucci from its fate.
