Lady Gaga

1986-present

Latest News: Lady Gaga Stars As Harley Quinn in Joker: Folie á Deux

Lady Gaga is returning to grace the big screen once again in the musical thriller Joker: Folie á Deux. Starring alongside Joaquin Phoenix, the 38-year-old plays the DC Comics character Harleen 'Lee' Quinzel, also known as Harley Quinn. The film, which arrives in theaters October 4, is the sequel to the 2019 supervillain origin story Joker. In the lead up to the movie's premiere, Gaga released her new record Harlequin on September 27, which serves as a companion album to the upcoming Joker: Folie á Deux soundtrack.

In an interview with Apple Music, the actor and singer revealed that her character had a "profound effect" on her. "I was able to discover the character through the story, through the music that we did live every day, as well as dance and the costumes and the makeup," Gaga said. "So I kind of had this deep experience with the character and she just didn’t really leave me creatively, and I decided I wanted to make a whole album inspired by her.”

Lady Gaga skyrocketed to success with the release of 2007 debut album The Fame, becoming an international pop star and Grammy-winning singer. Best known for the hit songs "Poker Face," "Shallow," and "Rain on Me," Gaga has since earned acclaim for subsequent albums, including collaborations with Tony Bennett, and has won a total of 13 Grammys. In addition to music, she has forged a career as an actor, nabbing a Golden Globe for her contributions to American Horror Story and earning an Oscar nomination for her co-starring role in the 2018 film A Star Is Born. Twice named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People, the 38-year-old actor and singer-songwriter stars in the 2024 supervillain movie Joker: Folie à Deux and is currently engaged to tech CEO Michael Polansky.

FULL NAME: Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta
BORN: March 28, 1986
BIRTHPLACE: New York, NY
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Aries

Lady Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, was born on March 28, 1986, in Yonkers, New York, to Cynthia and Joseph Germanotta. She also has a younger sister, Natali. Gaga learned to play the piano by the age of 4. At the age of 11, she was accepted to the Juilliard School in Manhattan, but instead attended a private Catholic school in the city. She continued studying music and performing, writing her first piano ballad at the age of 13, and she held her first performance in a New York nightclub at the age of 14.

A few years later, Gaga was granted early admission to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts — she was one of only 20 students in the world to receive the honor of early acceptance that year. While there, she studied music and worked on her songwriting skills. She later withdrew from school to find creative inspiration. To make ends meet, she took three jobs, including a stint as a gogo dancer, while she honed her performance-art act.

In 2005, Lady Gaga was briefly signed by Def Jam Records, but was dropped just months later. Being dropped by the label propelled the singer to perform on her own in clubs and venues on New York City's Lower East Side. There, she collaborated with several rock bands, and began her experimentation with fashion.

In 2007, a 20-year-old Gaga began working as an intern at Interscope Records, writing songs for artists like Britney Spears, New Kids on the Block, and The Pussycat Dolls. A year later, R&B musician Akon signed her to Kon Live, a label under the Interscope umbrella, after seeing her perform at her burlesque show "Lady Gaga and the Starlight Revue." It was then that she adopted her stage name, which was inspired by the Queen song "Radio Ga-Ga." Through 2007 and 2008, Gaga wrote and recorded her debut album, The Fame. The record received positive reviews and was successful in the United States. With the help of her own creative team, "Haus of Gaga," the performer also began to make a name for herself internationally. It wasn't long before she began earning accolades for her music. In 2010, Gaga won her first two Grammys for The Fame and single "Poker Face." Following the release of her EP The Fame Monster, which was considered a second volume of her debut studio album, she earned three more Grammys, one for her EP and two for the track "Bad Romance" and its corresponding music video. In total, the singer has earned an impressive 13 Grammys in her 16 years as a pop star.

Known for theatrics and unique fashion, Gaga has also put on more than a few stellar performances in her career. In addition to touring, she performed the national anthem at Super Bowl 50 in 2016. The following year, she returned to headline the Super Bowl LI halftime show, beginning her powerhouse performance on the roof of the NRG Stadium in Houston, singing parts of "God Bless America" and "This Land is Your Land" before diving to the stage suspended by wires to the stage. Her halftime show included a medley of her iconic songs including "Edge of Glory," "Bad Romance," "Poker Face," "Born This Way," "Telephone," and "Just Dance," as well as "Million Reasons."

In February 2016, a red-wigged Gaga performed a David Bowie tribute medley with guitarist Nile Rodgers at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. That same month, she sang "Til It Happens to You" at the 88th Annual Academy Awards. The song is from the 2015 documentary The Hunting Ground, which looked at the issue of rape on college campuses. Assault survivors were brought to the stage toward the end of the performance, earning a standing ovation.

In December 2018, Gaga began her Las Vegas residency at MGM Resorts' Park Theater , performing two separate shows over 39 dates: Lady Gaga Enigma, a collection of her most popular songs, and Lady Gaga Jazz & Piano, which features stripped-down versions of her greatest hits as well as selections from the Great American Songbook. She revived her Jazz & Piano residency from June to July 2024 at the Dolby Live theater inside Park MGM.

Just weeks after her short residency, Gaga opened the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics in July, singing Zizi Jeanmaire’s “Mon Truc En Plume” while surrounded by women holding pink feathered pom poms. "I hope you love this performance as much as I do," Gaga wrote in an Instagram post. "And to everyone in France, thank you so much for welcoming me to your country to sing in honor of you—it’s a gift I’ll never forget!" Days later, it was revealed that her performance was pre-recorded due to safety concerns about the weather.

Ever since the release of first single "Just Dance" in 2008, Gaga has produced hit after hit. The pop star has had an impressive 37 songs make it onto the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including five N0. 1 hits and 19 songs in the top 10. The Grammy-nominated "Just Dance" which spent three weeks at No. 1 shortly after its release, while the No. 1 hit "Poker Face" delivered Gaga her first Grammy win. This immediate success was followed by her single "Born This Way," which debuted at No. 1 in February 2011 and stayed there for six weeks. Years later, the chart-toppers "Shallow" and "Rain on Me" also earned Grammys.

Some of Gaga's other hit songs include:

• "Bad Romance"
• "Telephone"
• "Paparazzi"
• "The Edge of Glory"
• "Applause"
• "Alejandro"
• "LoveGame"
• "You and I"
• "Million Reasons"
• "Stupid Love"
• "Die With A Smile"

Gaga's first studio album The Fame was released to much success in August 2008, selling more than 4 million copies in the United States. That same year, the pop star dropped her EP The Fame Monster in November 2008, which was considered a second part to her debut album. Both albums won Grammys and grossed more than $35 million in sales combined. Since then, Gaga has released four more studio albums, as well as two collaborative records and two soundtrack albums. Her sixth studio album Chromatica came out in May 2020, followed by her collaboration with the late Tony Bennett in Love for Sale. Gaga's latest project, Harlequin, which is being as a companion soundtrack album, was released in September 2024 ahead of her film Joker: Folie á Deux.

Machete Kills and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

After making a brief cameo appearance as an alien in Men in Black 3, Gaga made her film acting debut in the action comedy Machete Kills in 2013. She portrayed La Camaleón, an assassin tasked with taking down the title character, Machete, played by Danny Trejo. The following year, she played Bertha in the action crime film Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.

American Horror Story

Two years year, Gaga showed her talent as an actor once again in American Horror Story: Hotel. She starred as the bloodsucking Countess, earning a Golden Globe for her performance. At the ceremony, a visibly stunned and emotional Gaga acknowledged that acting was her first dream before she embraced music, and thanked her fellow cast members and producer Ryan Murphy for their support. In 2016, Gaga returned to the show for its sixth season, playing an immortal witch in American Horror Story: Roanoke.

Gaga: Five Foot Two

The singer released her Netflix documentary Gaga: Five Foot Two in 2017, which chronicles the production of her fifth studio album Joanne, as well as her Super Bowl halftime performance. The film was named Best Music Documentary at the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards.

A Star Is Born

Gaga found herself back on the big screen two years later, starring in the 2018 A Star Is Born remake, alongside Bradley Cooper. She played the iconic character Ally, a role previously inhabited by Janet Gaynor, Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand. The film gained wide critical acclaim, grossing an impressive $400 million worldwide. Gaga earned an Academy Award nomination for her performance and nabbed Golden Globe, Grammy, and Oscar wins for her duet with Cooper in the film's song "Shallow."

House of Gucci

In 2021, the actor starred in the biographical crime drama House of Gucci, portraying Patrizia Reggiani, who hired a hitman to kill her husband, Italian businessman Maurizio Gucci. Gaga received high praise for her performance, earning her first acting award at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards, where she accepted the trophy for Best Actress. In her 13-minute acceptance speech, Gaga said the award recognized the "strong Italian women" who raised her. "It was through them that I was able to create the heart and soul of this character, the one that she deserved," she said.

Joker: Folie à Deux

Gaga stars in the musical psychological thriller Joker: Folie à Deux, which arrives in theaters in early October 2024. She plays the DC Comics character Harleen 'Lee' Quinzel, commonly known as Harley Quinn. Gaga released her companion album, Harlequin, ahead of the film's premiere.

Lady Gaga got engaged to Michael Polansky on April 1, 2024.

Gaga went public with her relationship with tech CEO Michael Polansky in February 2020 after the pair were spotted kissing on a hotel balcony. After months of speculation, the entertainer extraordinaire revealed that she was engaged during a filmed conversation with French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal in July 2024 at the Paris Olympics. Later on, Gaga shared Polansky proposed to her on April 1st after the couple went rock climbing. She explained on The Graham Norton Show in September that she initially "thought he was joking" because he popped the question on April Fool's Day. While Gaga has yet to reveal wedding plans, she told Jimmy Kimmel in October that her and Polansky "talk a lot about just going to a courthouse just the two of us and ordering Chinese food."

Before Polansky, the singer was engaged two times. On Valentine’s Day 2015, Lady Gaga became engaged to Chicago Fire actor Taylor Kinney. After five years together, in July 2016, it was reported that the couple called off their engagement and parted ways. A year later, in the summer of 2017, Gaga got engaged to her agent, Christian Carino. After the singer attended the Grammys without Carino in February 2019, a representative confirmed that the engagement was off.

Lady Gaga wore a meat dress to the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards.

In addition to her music, Gaga is known for her bold and iconic fashion sense. In 2008, the singer made waves with her long bangs and Haus of Gaga origami dresses before catching the world's attention at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards with her six campy costume changes, including a red lacy number and matching fabric crown that completely covered her head. Perhaps her most infamous look, however, is the meat dress she wore to the 2010 VMAs, which was made entirely of raw beef. In an interview on The Ellen Degeneres Show, Gaga explained that the meat dress was worn in protest of the United States military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, prohibiting openly LGBTQ people from serving in the military.

While Gaga's style has certainly changed over the years, her looks have still continued to turn heads. In 2016, she showed up to the Met Gala in a sparkly, metallic corset and no pants. Two years later, at the British premiere of A Star Is Born, Gaga stunned in a white gown fit for a Victorian queen, complete with a ruffle collar. Most recently, the 38-year-old attended wore a bright red dress with large puffy shoulders and Harley Quinn-inspired makeup on her press tour for Joker: Folie á Deux.

As of September 2024, Gaga has an estimated net worth of $300 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

• I am a walking piece of art every day, with my dreams and my ambitions forward at all times in an effort to inspire my fans to lead their life in that way.
• The statement is that I'm not one icon. I'm every icon. I'm an icon that is made out of all the colors on the palette at every time. I have no restrictions. No restrictions.
  
• There can be a hundred people in the room, and 99 don't believe in you, but all you need is one.

Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn’t look right, contact us!

Biography.com Editors

Staff Editorial Team and Contributors

The Biography.com staff is a team of people-obsessed and news-hungry editors with decades of collective experience. We have worked as daily newspaper reporters, major national magazine editors, and as editors-in-chief of regional media publications. Among our ranks are book authors and award-winning journalists. Our staff also works with freelance writers, researchers, and other contributors to produce the smart, compelling profiles and articles you see on our site. To meet the team, visit our About Us page: https://www.biography.com/about/a43602329/about-us

Catherine Caruso

Associate Profiles Editor

Catherine Caruso joined the Biography.com staff in August 2024, having previously worked as a freelance journalist for several years. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, where she studied English literature. When she’s not working on a new story, you can find her reading, hitting the gym, or watching too much TV.