Ahead of 'A Star Is Born,' a look back at Lady Gaga's early acting roles

Ahead of ‘A Star Is Born,’ a look back at Lady Gaga’s early acting roles

Aug. 30, 2018 3 AM PT

After a decade in the public eye thanks to her wildly successful music career, Lady Gaga (a.k.a. Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta) is betting big on her acting career with a starring role in Bradley Cooper’s remake of “A Star Is Born.”

But while this may be her biggest role to date, it’s far from her first. Her onscreen appearances date back to 2001 — a full seven years before “Just Dance” turned her into a household name.

As with her genre-crossing songs, each of her past TV and film appearances has managed to show different sides beyond the Lady Gaga persona.

Before “A Star Is Born” hits theaters on Oct. 5, see where it all began.

‘The Sopranos,’ 2001

When she was just 15, Germanotta made her acting debut on a 2001 episode of “The Sopranos.” In the ninth episode of the third season, titled “The Telltale Moozadell,” she makes an uncredited appearance as a classmate of A.J. Soprano’s (Robert Iler) seated by the swimming pool and smoking a cigarette while A.J. and some other classmates take an after-hours dip in the school pool. One thing leads to another and the kids end up throwing furniture and other school equipment in the pool and smashing a glass trophy case.

‘Boiling Point,’ 2005

The same year Germanotta dropped out of NYU, she made an appearance on an MTV reality TV show that gives unwitting participants money after subjecting them to patience-testing situations. As a patron in a restaurant, Gaga was the first of three contestants to lose their cool when the food they ordered was taken away and returned with a raunchy plate of food. Sadly, she didn’t last the 14 minutes needed to win the money.

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‘Lady Gaga & the Muppets’ Holiday Spectacular,’ 2013

After her planned appearance in 2011’s “The Muppets” was cut for time, Lady Gaga teamed with Kermit & Co. for a variety show-like holiday special at ABC. She got a little help from her famous friends, including Elton John, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Kristen Bell and RuPaul. They combined forces to sing seasonal favorites and a few hits from the singer-songwriter herself like “Applause” and “Manicure.” She later teamed with the Muppets again, making a cameo in 2014’s “Muppets Most Wanted” alongside frequent collaborator Tony Bennett.

‘Sin City: A Dame to Kill For,’ 2014

Lady Gaga played a waitress named Bertha in a scene with a beaten up Johnny (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who mysteriously pops up at the diner where she works. She gives him a glass of water and, because he doesn’t “stink of anything I don’t like” and reminds her of an old boyfriend, she gives him a few dollars to help him on on his way.

‘American Horror Story: Hotel,’ 2015-16

In her largest acting role to date, Gaga joined the fifth season of Ryan Murphy’s FX anthology “American Horror Story.” She went on to win a Golden Globe for best actress in a limited series or TV movie for her sultry portrayal of the Countess. Gaga returned to the show the following season, playing a woodsy witch in “American Horror Story: Roanoke.”

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Pop star and Golden Globe-winning actress Lady Gaga is photographed in advance of her new film, “A Star Is Born.”