Joker: Folie à Deux cast – Who stars with Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga in sequel?
Phoenix is back in his Oscar-winning role as Arthur Fleck – and there are a lot of big names joining him in the ensemble.
Five years have passed, but Joaquin Phoenix is back in the role that won him an Oscar – returning to play Arthur Fleck in new sequel Joker: Folie à Deux.
The new film hasn't been quite as well reviewed as the original across the board, but in our own 4-star verdict we called it "a brooding tale that works hard to reinvent the comic book movie" and praised the performances of both Phoenix and his high-profile co-star Lady Gaga, who joins the ensemble as Lee Quinzel, aka Harley Quinn.
The latter's presence has been especially commented upon ahead of the release, as has the fact that the film will be departing from the original by becoming a musical – or at least, musical inspired – with several classic songs heard throughout the runtime.
And while not too many stars other than Phoenix return from last time out (Zazie Beetz is a rare exception), the film does include a whole host of new names alongside Gaga, including Industry star Harry Lawtey and Alan Partridge himself, Steve Coogan – who plays a somewhat different TV personality here.
Read on for everything you need to know about the cast, including who they're playing and where you might have seen them before.
Joker 2 cast – Who stars with Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga?
You can find the full list of stars below, while if you scroll down further there is some more information about the major players.
- Joaquin Phoenix as Joker/Arthur Fleck
- Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn/Lee Quinzel
- Zazie Beetz as Sophie Dumond
- Harry Lawtey as Harvey Dent
- Catherine Keener as Maryanne Stewart
- Brendan Gleeson as Jackie Sullivan
- Steve Coogan as Paddy Meyers
- Ken Leung as Dr Victor Liu
- Bill Smitrovich as Judge Herman Rothwax
- Jacob Lofland as Ricky Meline
Joaquin Phoenix plays Joker/Arthur Fleck
Who is Joker/Arthur Fleck? Based on the legendary DC Comics villain, Arthur is a mentally ill, nihilistic criminal with a clown-inspired persona. Following the events of the previous film, he is now incarcerated at Arkham Asylum.
What else has Joaquin Phoenix been in? Phoenix is one of the most acclaimed actors of his generation and won his first Oscar for his role in the previous Joker film. He's also been nominated for roles in Gladiator, Walk the Line and The Master and other prominent credits include To Die For, Signs, The Village, Hotel Rwanda, We Own the Night, Her, The Immigrant, Inherent Vice, You Were Never Really Here, C'Mon, Cmon, Beau Is Afraid and Napoleon.
Lady Gaga plays Harley Quinn/Lee Quinzel
Who is Harley Quinn/Harleen Quinzel? A fellow patient at Arkham who meets Arthur at a music class and instantly forms an intense romantic connection with him. She is a version of the popular DC Comics character, who was previously played on the big screen by Margot Robbie.
What else has Lady Gaga been in? Gaga is of course best known for her hugely successful – and multi-award-winning – music career, but she has made waves as an actress with roles in A Star Is Born (for which she was Oscar-nominated) and House of Gucci.
Zazie Beetz plays Sophie Dumond
Who is Sophie Dumond? A single mother and Arthur's former neighbour, with whom he previously imagined being in a romantic relationship in the last film.
What else has Zazie Beetz been in? Beetz is perhaps best known for her role as Van throughout all four seasons of Atlanta, while other film credits include Bullet Train, The Harder They Fall and Deadpool 2. She played the role of Bo in the Black Mirror episode Mazey Day and has had recurring voice roles in Invincible and Big Mouth.
Harry Lawtey plays Harvey Dent
Who is Harvey Dent? Another character drawn from the DC Comics, this version of Harvey has just been elected assistant district attorney of Gotham and plans to bring Arthur to justice for his crimes.
What else has Harry Lawtey been in? Best known for his role as Robert in Industry, Lawtey has also starred in BBC romantic comedy-drama You & Me, ITV drama Marcella, and the films The Pale Blue Eye and Benediction.
Brendan Gleeson plays Jackie Sullivan
Who is Jackie Sullivan? A a guard at Arkham Asylum.
What else has Brendan Gleeson been in? Gleeson is very recognisable for a huge wealth of varied films roles including The Banshees of Inisherin, In Bruges, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Paddington 2, 28 Days Later, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, and Gangs of New York. He played Donald Trump in the TV show The Comey Rule and also had the lead role in the small-screen Stephen King adaptation Mr Mercedes.
Steve Coogan plays Paddy Meyers
Who is Paddy Meyers? A popular TV personality who interviews Arthur while he is imprisoned at Arkham.
What else has Steve Coogan been in? Coogan is of course best known for his comedic role as Alan Partridge, but he's also starred in factual dramas, notably the ITV drama Stephen, based on the investigation into Stephen Lawrence's murder, and The Reckoning, in which he played Jimmy Savile. He has also featured in films such as 24 Hour Party People, Night at the Museum, Tropic Thunder, In the Loop, Philomena, Stan & Ollie, Greed and The Lost King, as well as series including The Trip.
Catherine Keener plays Maryanne Stewart
Who is Maryanne Stewart? Arthur's defence lawyer who argues his innocence based on his multiple personality disorder.
What else has Catherine Keener been in? Keener has a huge wealth of film credits to her name, with memorable roles including Being John Malkovich, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Capote, Into the Wild, Synecdoche, New York and Get Out. On the small screen she's had roles in Kidding and Brand New Cherry Flavor.
Joker: Folie à Deux will arrive in cinemas on Friday 4th October 2024.
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Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
