Summary
The producers ofWednesdaysure know how to pick a fun casting choice. Fred Armisen as Uncle Fester? Delightful.Steve Buscemi as the new the Nevermore Academy principal? Bound to be a fun time. Now,EW.comhas reported that international pop star Lady Gaga will be joining the cast for Season 2, and she couldn’t be a better pick.
There’s been a connection between the singer and the Netflix series in the past. A TikTok went viral in 2022 of footage ofWednesday’s dance from Season 1paired with a remix of Gaga’s song “Bloody Mary.” However, that’s far from the only reason Lady Gaga will be a great pick for Season 2.
Lady Gaga Is No Stranger to Spooky Television
Lady Gaga has appeared in two seasons ofAmerican Horror Story. Her first role was in season five,AHS: Hotel, where she played The Countess, the vampiric owner of the titular hotel who takes inspiration from theinfamous real-life serial killer Elizabeth Báthory. This role won her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film.
Her second appearance was in the sixth season,AHS: Roanoke, in which she playedScáthach, the Celtic witch antagonist. Although this second role didn’t win Lady Gaga another nomination, it did tie back to fan favoriteAHS: Coven, as Scáthach was the first Supreme. Spooky, witchy, and memorable, this role seems like a perfect warm-up forWednesdayand would fit right in the macabre extended Addams Family clan.
Lady Gaga’s Commitment to Her Characters is Perfect for Wednesday
Teen shows may not be exactly rare, but what is rare are those that have the sauce to make a real hit.Wednesdayholds a pedigree with the long-runningAddams Familybrand and half of its first season episodes under the direction of goth king himself, Tim Burton. However,Wednesdayis actually more the heir ofRiverdale.
Quite possiblythe last truly wild show on television,Riverdalemay have taken its characters from theArchiecomics, but over the course of its run, it changed its genre multiple times, and took on soap operatic story lines unheard of, even for a teen drama show. In comparison,Wednesdaymay take some of its core characters fromThe Addams Family, but its ambitions lie in supernatural cults, monsters, and murder. This is the same stuff thatRiverdalespun for a whopping seven seasons, unheard of in today’s cancel-happy television world. That kind of show doesn’t run on actors who are afraid to take risks. It needs actors that are willing to commit, even to some of the wildest storylines imaginable.
Lady Gaga is an incredible actor. Take, for example, her turn as Patrizia Reggiani inHouse of Gucci. The film itself is a mess, both a failureGodfatherexpy and just short of a camp classic, but Gaga’s performance elevates it. Gaga spent nine months in Method as Patrizia. She took a similar approach too to her character Ally inA Star is Born,which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. At the opposite end of the spectrum, themuch-malignedJoker: Folie à Deuxhas been criticized for underutilizing her talents. Gaga’s commitment as a performer is steadfast, no matter the assignment. For a show likeWednesday,which deals both in spooky mystery and high teen drama, commitment is the special sauce that makes it work.
She’ll Bring a Drove of New Fans To The Show
As an internationally famous pop star with powerful vocals and an eccentric, provocative style, Lady Gaga has amassed a huge following of fans. She has affectionately dubbed her fanbase Little Monsters, while she has been given the moniker Mother Monster. She has sold millions of albums, her music videos have billions of views, and her fans can be found in droves on social media.
Naturally, this kind of fanbase means that whenever Lady Gaga acts in a project, the Little Monsters are bound to flock to it. An argument could be made thatJoker: Folie à Deux’s disappointing box office performancesuggests otherwise. That said, Lady Gaga has found success in acting roles when she’s played to her strengths.A Star is Bornhighlighted her singing, andAHS: Hotelembraced her status as Mother Monster by making her an actual monster.Wednesday,with its gothic setting and camp charm, seems like the perfect opportunity for Lady Gaga to play to her persona, which her fans have long adored.
Although Lady Gaga’s role onWednesdayis being kept under wraps for the time being, it’s exciting to imagine the possibilities. Could she be a new teacher at Nevermore? Perhaps a siren in the same cult as Bianca’s mom? Or she could even be a member of the Addams viewers haven’t seen yet. Some fans have even suggested she might be thefamously hirsute Cousin Itt. (It’s not out of the realm of possibility. Snoop Dogg played Cousin Itt in the animated films, after all.) Whatever her role, there’s no doubt Lady Gaga will bring her past spooky television experience, commitment, and fans along with her for the ride.
