After A Star Is Born, House of Gucci, and now Joker: Folie à Deux, Lady Gaga says shes kept her characters with her

Lady Gaga cant stop falling in love  with the characters she plays on the big screen.

In writer-director Todd Phillips new sequel Joker: Folie à Deux, Gaga, 38, plays Arkham State Hospital patient Harleen Lee Quinzel (a.k.a. beloved DC Comics villainess Harley Quinn), who becomes obsessed enough with Joaquin Phoenixs Arthur Fleck (a.k.a. Joker) that the two share fanciful  musical!  expressions of their inner madness.

Asked whether she left her psychologically warped character behind after wrapping filming, the Die With a Smile singer tells PEOPLE, I didnt, really.

To clarify, she adds, I didnt bring her home with me, for sure. But between Lee, Ally in 2018s A Star Is Born and the real-life Patrizia Reggiani in 2021s House of Gucci, you fall in love with the characters that you play, she says. I always have, anyway.

Of A Star Is Borns Ally, Gaga told Variety upon the Bradley Cooper movies release, I wonder how long shell stay. Or if shell be in there forever.

In 2022, she told Screen Daily that she dressed as Ally and dyed her hair to match the characters. For House of Gucci, she said at the time, she resolved to stay in character for over nine months: Its very important to me that when Im on screen, people dont feel like its me the whole time. I think that would be very distracting.

So yes, sometimes Gaga has had trouble leaving characters behind, she tells PEOPLE. But Im in a new place.

Ive been in the music industry since I was a teenager. And Ive been working in the film industry for the last 10 years or so, says the Oscar winner. And you know, I think that I just went through a lot.

She adds, I just feel a lot better now and its nice to be able to say that. I feel really grateful to be able to say that.

Joker: Folie à Deux, costarring Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Leigh Gill, Zazie Beetz, Sharon Washington and Steve Coogan, is in theaters now.