Despite co-starring alongside Lady Gaga in Joker: Folie à Deux, Joaquin Phoenix wasn’t always a Little Monster.
In a new interview with Capital FM, Gaga reacts to a throwback video in which Miley Cyrus introduces the actor to her music 14 years ago. In the video, a teenage Cyrus tells Phoenix that she’s a fan of the “Poker Face” singer.
When asked if he is familiar with Gaga, Phoenix jokingly replies that he knows her “very well,” adding, “She has a song, ‘Everybody Goes Up.’ She also does the one, ‘Two Lashes at a Time.’” Cyrus playfully dismisses Phoenix, and begins singing Gaga’s “Bad Romance,” which, again, the actor doesn’t recognize.
While watching the video, Gaga is seen laughing, before she adds, “I know what I’m showing him later. That’s so cool.”
Joker: Folie à Deux follows Phoenix’s return as Arthur Fleck, a.k.a the Joker, who is now confined in Arkham Asylum. There, he meets Gaga’s Harleen “Lee” Quinzel, and they form a powerfully chaotic bond with the goal of causing mayhem across Gotham City.
Gaga previously told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe that filming the Joker film with Phoenix was a “really soulful experience” for her. “It’s like these two people find love in this really dark place and it brings them all the light,” she explained.
Joker: Folie à Deux hits theaters on Oct. 4. Watch Gaga’s reaction to Phoenix and Cyrus’ conversation here.
