Funny, inspirational and truly herself, Lady Gaga shares with MiNDFOOD her dreams, love for family and how through the power of her voice she learned to love herself more.
By Michele Manelis
How have you remained your authentic self?
This absolutely happened to me: It was suggested that get a nose job before my first music video, before my first single ever came out, and I said, no. I am proud to be Italian and I love my Italian nose. I didn’t always, but I learned to love who I was. And the way that I maintained my authenticity is that when people would come to me and say, ‘Try dancing, try looking this way,’ I would always flip it on its head and do it my way. And this is how I maintained who I am through my work and throughout my career. If they wanted me to look like a sexpot, I wanted to look like the opposite!
Christmas is coming soon. What does a Christmas tree look like decorated by Lady Gaga?
A Christmas tree decorated by me? Usually, I decorate my Christmas trees to feel like whatever albums I am making. So it will look something like the soundtrack to A Star is Born.
Do you cook?
I love to cook. We have a big feast on Christmas Day, and I love to decorate the house with trees and with pine – it’s a celebration. Something that is very important to me is family. Sometimes friends come, too. The close ones I consider the same as family.
You’re very close to Elton John?
Yes. I am the godmother of his children, him and David Furnish.
What do your friends call you?
I have friends that call me Gaga and I have friends that call me Stefani and I have friends and family members that call me Steffie.
What makes you feel like a star?
To me, what it means to be a star, like in A Star is Born, is to have courage. For me, the courage of the human spirit, this is the biggest star that can be born – bravery, compassion, understanding, and that to me is what makes a real star. Do I feel like a star? There are moments when I am very aware and then there are most moments when I am just truly a human being like everyone else. I am not here to be a star, I am here to have a voice.
What would you like to say?
When you become famous, everything changes. Your whole life is different and you are no longer just a free being and in many ways, you belong to the world. And I think an important topic to be discussed around this film is mental health. I have a foundation called The Born This Way Foundation and we are focused on empowering youth and kindness and bravery and mental health. If we see someone suffering and they are in pain, reach your hand out and help them.
What are your dreams?
I have dreams of being a mother. I have dreams of having a family and I have dreams of doing more films and making more music. But I am very happy, I am not obsessed with career expansion.
When did you know you were a star?
The moment that I truly think felt like a star for the first time, was when I looked into the eyes of my fans and I saw myself.
How would you describe ambition?
Ambition is like a fire with constant oxygen being blown into it, making it bigger and bigger. Without ambition at the beginning of my career, I would not be where I am today, because you get rejected over and over and over again. You make mistakes, you fall down and you have performances that you are proud of, and you have performances that you are not proud of. I think it is always wonderful to have ambition, even if that ambition is to improve on how you feel. It doesn’t have to be about your career, it can just be about you as a person. For me, my ambition now is to help more people in the world.
Click here to read more about A Star is Born, starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper.
