Lady Gaga has been open about how playing Patrizia Gucci in House of Gucci affected her mental health as she went method, fully immersing herself into the life of the woman who served 18 years in prison for plotting the murder of he ex-husband, Maurizio Gucci. The artist recently spoke to Variety where she revealed that towards the end of filming she had a mental health professional on set.
Lady Gaga has proved her worth as a talented actress and while there are many ways actors prepare for roles, she goes method. Variety notes that for the entirety of filming Gaga lived as Patrizia. “I was the same way for ‘A Star Is Born.’ I was always Ally,” she explained. “And for this, I was always Patrizia. I always spoke in my accent. And even if I was speaking about things that weren’t related to the movie – I wasn’t pretending that Maurizio was waiting for me downstairs – I was still living my life. I just lived it as her.”
As a result, Gaga explained, “I brought the darkness with me home because her life was dark.” As time went on, Gaga felt like things were becoming unsafe for her when it came to her mental health, and she got help. “I had a psychiatric nurse with me towards the end of filming,” she says, explaining, “I sort of felt like I had to. I felt that it was safer for me.” The mental health advocate assured others, “It’s OK to ask for help.” “If you’re feeling like that, ask for help. No matter what,” added.
But her commitment to embodying any role she plays is not something she wants to be “glorified” by other actors. “I don’t think that any actor should push themselves to that limit,” she said. The artist who says she will “do anything for art” says she often asks herself, ‘why?’” I ask myself all the time why I do that. I’ve done some pretty extreme art pieces throughout my career — the things I’ve put my body through, my mind. It’s like a walnut of sadness in my stomach as I say this to you. I don’t know why I’m like that. ” Gaga said.
As for when it will ever stop? Maybe when she has a kid. “I probably will completely change this when I have a child, but I don’t have a child yet. I want to be available and present for my children in a way that I think when you are acting in that way, it could be problematic for a child to be around,” she explained.