A Star Is Reborn

Just when you thought Lady Gaga had pushed reinvention to its very limits, she made her most surprising transformation of all – into big screen (and Oscar-tipped) movie star. Julia Braybrook charts the artist’s rise and asks, what next?

The world was taken by surprise when, 10 years ago, Lady Gaga burst onto the music scene, with a series of audacious hit singles including Just Dance, Poker Face and Bad Romance. What followed was extravagant costumes – the infamous ‘meat dress’ she wore to the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards for one – and equally elaborate videos and performances. But in recent years, the 32-year-old singer, songwriter and record producer has shown fans a more relaxed image, most notably with her debut on the big screen in the musical drama, A Star Is Born.

The movie, now in its fourth remake, follows Bradley Cooper as the hard-drinking musician, Jackson Maine, who discovers and falls in love with the young singer, Ally, played by Gaga. The critically acclaimed film has picked up several accolades – including being named best movie of 2018 in several lists – among them five nominations at the 76th Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture, and four nominations both at the Grammy Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards. It’s widely tipped to win big at the Oscars. Bradley, who also had his directorial debut with the film, was full of praise for his co-star, saying, “Lady Gaga is so good that if the world I’d created wasn’t authentic, it would stand out in a second. Everything had to be raised to her level.”

MASTER OF REINVENTION

For Gaga, she says the film is less of a remake than a “travelling legacy,” adding that “the true star in this film is bravery; I think the true star in this film is perseverance. I think it’s the ability to go on when things are hard and I think that that is a tale that can be told forever.”