Lady Gaga has confessed to experiencing some “psychological difficulty” following her portrayal of Patrizia Reggiani in House of Gucci.
The upcoming biographical film, directed by Ridley Scott, explores three decades of love and betrayal within the Gucci family, with a particular focus on the murder of Maurizio Gucci in 1995.
Joining Gaga in the star-studded cast are Adam Driver, Jared Leto, Salma Hayek, Jeremy Irons and Al Pacino.
In an interview with Vogue, Gaga described her experience working on the film in Italy.
“I had some psychological difficulty at one point towards the end of filming,” she says. “I was either in my hotel room, living and speaking as Reggiani, or I was on set, living and speaking as her. I remember I went out into Italy one day with a hat on to take a walk. I hadn’t taken a walk in about two months and I panicked. I thought I was on a movie set.”
In her portrayal of Reggiani, Lady Gaga subscribed to the Susan Baston technique – a method which required her to try and absorb the desires, fears and interests of the character.
The real Patrizia Reggiani – who spent 18 years in prison for arranging the assassination of her ex-husband – was reportedly displeased that Gaga did not try to meet her.
“I only felt that I could truly do this story justice if I approached it with the eye of a curious woman who was interested in possessing a journalistic spirit,” explained Gaga. “Meaning that nobody was going to tell me who Patrizia Gucci was. Not even Patrizia Gucci.”
House of Gucci arrives in cinemas on November 24.
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