We’re learning more about the considerable lengths House of Gucci star Lady Gaga went through to prepare for the role of Patrizia Reggiani—and that does not include meeting her real-life counterpart, who was famously convicted in 1998 for arranging the murder of her ex-husband and Italian fashion heir Maurizio Gucci, played by Adam Driver in the film.
The New York-born Gaga, who is of Italian-American heritage and whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, explained in a recent interview how she immersed herself in the role by assuming an Italian accent for over nine months total—six months leading up to the film’s production, then three and a half months as it was filmed, staying in character the entire time.
“I was just in Milan the other day doing a television show, and I had the most wonderful time with Fabio, who did my interview,” Gaga told Good Morning America Tuesday. “When he told me that he was so impressed with my accent and that Italian people were impressed with my accent, I couldn’t think of a higher honor.”
Gaga also addressed the reason why she chose not to meet with the infamous Reggiani, who was imprisoned for 18 years and released in 2016 following a suicide attempt in 2000.
Though Gaga said she thought Reggiani was mischaracterized as a “gold digger” in the press, the singer still contended that the former socialite “wanted to be glorified for this murder, and she wanted to be remembered as this criminal.”
“I don’t wanna collude with something that I don’t believe in,” Gaga added. “You know, she did have her husband murdered.”
Gaga is surely one of the main draws to the Ridley Scott-directed House of Gucci, which hits theaters Nov. 24.