Los Angeles Times

How much pain goes into a movie? Kristen Stewart, Lady Gaga sound off in our roundtable

Lady Gaga had been holding back. Fifteen minutes into a conversation with five of her peers — Penelope Cruz, Kirsten Dunst, Jennifer Hudson, Kristen Stewart and Tessa Thompson — the performer had yet to speak unless spoken to. It was so unusual for her that she decided to interrupt the conversation to offer an explanation. "I really apologize that I'm so quiet," Gaga said, joining the ...

Lady Gaga had been holding back.

Fifteen minutes into a conversation with five of her peers — Penelope Cruz, Kirsten Dunst, Jennifer Hudson, Kristen Stewart and Tessa Thompson — the performer had yet to speak unless spoken to. It was so unusual for her that she decided to interrupt the conversation to offer an explanation.

"I really apologize that I'm so quiet," Gaga said, joining the actresses virtually from Las Vegas, where she was slated to go on stage for her residency later that evening. "But I'm so fascinated listening to you. I feel like I'm learning so much about all of you and the way that you approach your craft and the way your personal lives are interwoven into everything you do. I feel like being vulnerable for a second and sharing that."

The "House of Gucci" star, 35, went on to describe herself as a "masochist" when she acts, "completely detached from real life." She said she was opening up about her "totally unhealthy" process in the hope of both connecting with the others on The Envelope's Actress Roundtable and seeking advice from women who have more film experience than she does.

Gaga's role in "House of Gucci" is just her second major turn as a movie star, following her Oscar-nominated part in 2018's "A Star Is Born." In the new Ridley Scott film, she plays Patrizia Regianni, the real-life Italian whose stormy marriage to the head of Gucci nearly brought down the famous fashion house.

Compare her with Stewart, who at 31 has appeared in more than 50 films. The "Twilight" veteran, who began acting when she was 8, appears most recently as Princess Diana in "Spencer." In the movie, Stewart depicts the late royal in the fragile final days before she separated from the Prince of Wales.

Dunst, too, has been in front of the camera since childhood. The 39-year-old began auditioning for commercials when she was just 3, spending her youth in films as varied as "Little Women," "Interview With the Vampire" and "The Virgin Suicides." Her latest role comes in "The Power of the Dog," in which she plays a newlywed whose ornery

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times4 min read
FLiRT Variants Push Up COVID Cases In LA County; Mayor Karen Bass Tests Positive
LOS ANGELES — COVID-19 cases are continuing to climb in Los Angeles County, as are the number of people hospitalized with infections, as the typical summer surge in the illness creeps up. Among those recently testing positive for the coronavirus was
Los Angeles Times3 min read
Clippers Hope To Remain Competitive With Roster In Wake Of Losing Paul George
LOS ANGELES — On July 24, 2019, the Los Angeles Clippers held a news conference with big fanfare to announce the arrival of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, two of the best two-way players in the NBA, who had joined forces. The Clippers were considered
Los Angeles Times6 min read
Miguel Rojas Is Shining At Shortstop. Will Dodgers Keep Him There When Mookie Betts Returns?
LOS ANGELES — It has been only two weeks since Miguel Rojas replaced the injured Mookie Betts as the Los Angeles Dodgers' starting shortstop, more than enough time for the 35-year-old veteran to alter the makeup of the team's infield come playoff tim

Related Books & Audiobooks