13-time Grammy Award winner, multiple Golden Globe recipient, and fashion icon, Lady Gaga has cemented herself as a top force of talent and influence in every field she’s ventured into. Beyond being a generational defining pop icon, Lady Gaga—born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta—has also enjoyed an illustrious career as a film star. As we await her highly anticipated portrayal of Harley Quinn in Joker: Folie à Deux, let's take a look back at some of Lady Gaga’s most notable film and TV performances, ranked from best to worst.
Lady Gaga first ventured into acting with cameos in shows like The Sopranos and Gossip Girl, where she took on self-referential roles often afforded to pop stars of her stature. Her first recognizable role as an actor came in 2015 when she starred in the fifth and sixth seasons of the acclaimed horror-drama series American Horror Story. However, Lady Gaga's breakout and best performance to date came with A Star Is Born. The film marked her first lead role in a feature length film. Sharing the screen with Bradley Cooper, she played the role of Ally, an aspiring singer-songwriter, delivering a raw and powerful performance that earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress and an Oscar for co-writing the song Shallow.
Much like her musical career, Lady Gaga’s filmography speaks for itself. With each project, she has pushed her limits and explored new depths of acting. Moving from the eerie realms of horror in American Horror Story, to the emotionally charged A Star Is Born, to the challenging autobiographical role of Patrizia Reggiani in House of Gucci, Gaga continues to redefine her boundaries. Now, she steps into the iconic shoes of Harley Quinn for Joker: Folie à Deux, further cementing her versatility as a performer.
For the purpose of this list, we’ve only considered roles where Lady Gaga is credited as a lead, supporting actor, or special appearance; leaving out her uncredited cameos and concert documentaries.
Every Lady Gaga Film and TV Performance Ranked From Best To Worst
Number 1 on our list, A Star Is Born, didn’t just mark her breakout role in feature films, but also showcased her versatility as a singer-songwriter. Ally’s raw and classic music style in the film was quite a departure from Gaga’s usual pop sound, revealing a more vulnerable and grounded side to her musical and acting talent.
Donning the role of Patrizia Reggiani in the autobiographical tale of the Gucci family’s twisted history, Lady Gaga surprised audiences with her dramatic and glamorous portrayal of Patrizia. While the accents in the movie were admittedly all over the place, Gaga’s performance solidified her range as a performer, delivering a captivating mix of ambition, revenge, and vulnerability.
A Netflix documentary following Lady Gaga’s life as she records her fifth studio album, Joanne, and prepares for the Super Bowl halftime show. This documentary offers a raw and vulnerable look into Gaga’s life as an artist as she struggles to balance her fame, physical and emotional health, and personal relationships while navigating the new highs of her career.
Gaga made her acting debut in the fifth season of American Horror Story playing the role of a vampy hotel owner. Her role as the bloodsucking Countess, won her a Golden Globe award, and several other nominations.
Albeit just a guest appearance, Gaga managed to captivate audiences and leave a lasting impression with her performance as Scathach, a scorned witch with a big personality in season 6 of American Horror Story.
Channeling her old world Hollywood glam, Gaga, plays the role of Bertha, a waitress who lends Joseph Gordon Levitt’s character some money to get him out of a shtick. Even though Gaga only had one scene in the entire film, she made it count by blending right into the film’s noir style.
You know you’ve officially made it in Hollywood when Simpsons creates a character after you! She featured as herself in Season 23 of The Simpsons, in an episode titled Lisa goes Gaga. In the episode Gaga guides Lisa Simpson to find her own way in life.
Gaga appeared as a guest judge on the Season 9 premiere of RuPaul’s Drag Race where she mentored contestants and gave them valuable feedback on how to deliver a memorable performance.
Technically Gaga’s first credited role, Machete Kills, is an over the top guns blazing action thriller film where she plays the role of a deadly assassin.
At the peak of her Poker Face stardom, Gaga made an appearance on the hit teen-drama series Gossip Girl, where she performs as herself. While her cameo did pack in a certain level of surprise, the role in itself wasn’t as notable as the rest of her work.
Where to watch every Lady Gaga Film and TV Series online
Interested in finding out where to stream all the films and TV series mentioned above? Check out JustWatch’s detailed streaming guide by scrolling down below. Simply click on each title to learn more about the cast, episode list, and your options for buying, streaming, or renting each of these titles.
