Lady Gaga Gave Rick Gonzalez 'Freedom' To Play Jesus His Way In 'Judas'

Actor tells MTV News that co-directors Gaga and Laurieann Gibson 'gave me a lot of confidence.'
By Matt Elias


Rick Gonzalez
Photo: MTV News

Just a day after Lady Gaga's video for "Judas" debuted, fans and foes alike are still buzzing with reactions. That includes actor/rapper Rick Gonzalez, who plays Jesus in the video. For Gonzalez, the experience was somewhat surreal, beginning with his initial casting.

"I'm sitting in my house, I get a call from my manager, [and] she says, 'Lady Gaga wants you to be in the video,' " Gonzalez recalled to MTV News. "I'm like, 'Oh, cool. Lady Gaga who?' and she's like, 'Rick, the Lady Gaga.' And I'm like, 'Wow, OK.' And the first thing that comes to my mind and what I tell her is, like, 'How does she know I even exist?'

"They send a treatment over and I read it, and I was like, 'Wow, I'm honored to be even a part of it.' I really love the story and what she did and [where] she was thinking of going with it and I was really honored to be a part of it. So I was really stoked."

Once on set, Gonzalez said it felt more like a film than a music video.

"Laurieann Gibson, who directed along with Gaga — I mean, they really had great shots and they had this amazing huge production set up for the video," Gonzalez said. "It really did feel that way. We were on a bike, on a flatbed truck, and I have Gaga behind me, and we're like moving around the lot, just running around. So it was definitely grand in that scheme."

While Gonzalez had the honor of manning Gaga's motorcycle in the opening shots, he was relieved that he didn't have to actually drive it for the wide shots.

"Those shots, that's not me riding," the actor revealed. "So the shots with me and her, we're literally being dragged on a truck. I didn't want the responsibility of dropping a bike with Gaga on it."

The actor developed newfound respect for Gaga after witnessing just how hands-on she was with all aspects of the clip. But there was one area that Gaga and co-director Gibson ceded to Gonzalez.

"The beautiful thing about playing Jesus in the video was they really gave me the freedom to find it in my own way and they gave me a lot of confidence in that, and I was really impressed in Laurieann's direction and just giving me the space and letting me find it," Gonzalez said.

He was equally impressed with how Gaga and Gibson communicated, which at times wasn't even verbal.

"I think the chemistry between Laurieann and Lady Gaga, it was interesting to watch because they were totally in sync with each other creatively, and I think that you're going to see a lot more amazing things with them, 'cause they totally have like this synergy with them," he predicted, adding, "And I've overheard them say they're totally gonna do a lot more things together, so I'm excited to see what that stuff's gonna be."

What do you think of Rick's portrayal of Jesus in the "Judas" video? Tell us in the comments.

Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1663465/lady-gaga-judas-rick-gonzalez.jhtml

Amanda Peet Samantha Mathis Gisele Bündchen Tatiana Zavialova Kate Moss

Jennifer Lopez Says She 'Lucked Out' With Lady Gaga Tracks

J.Lo talks about the tunes Gaga helped write and produce on her new Love? album.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Matt Elias


Jennifer Lopez
Photo: Michael Caulfield/ Getty Images

Jennifer Lopez came onto the scene as a dance princess, throwing millennium parties while "Waiting for Tonight" and frolicking on the beach declaring that "My Love Don't Cost a Thing." Well, it's now 2011 and not that much has changed for J.Lo.

She still wants her fans to shake their fannies while she sings about the ups and downs of love. This time around, however, she got some help from this millennium's biggest pop princess, Lady Gaga — along with frequent Gaga collaborator/producer RedOne — for the just-released Love? album.

"I think RedOne's sound is very specific, but he also can be very individual for each artist that he works with, which I like, but there's still kind of a commonality in it," J.Lo said. "But it's him. He makes a record sound so big and important ... When he would play me different tracks and even the beginnings of ideas and when he told me, 'Actually I worked with Gaga on this,' and I was like, 'Really? That's awesome. Is it OK?' and he [was] like, 'Yeah, yeah.' You know, they write and produce together a lot. So, it was exciting. I kind of just lucked out on that one."

But, there is a lot more to the album than the few tracks featuring Gaga's golden touch. Love? also is a complete work of art that in a way, Lopez says, she's been working on for most of her life.

"I've been making this album maybe for a couple years now," she said. "It's been quite a process, but I've been saying lately that I've been actually making this record since I was 13 years old — the first time I fell in love — because it's true, all the thoughts and all the things that went into this album were questions and things that I've had over the years ... Love is a very complex topic and I've been singing about it since my first album, and this was kind of the culmination of that."

Sure, J.Lo is not the same girl she was back then, and she knows that. "I wanted to pose some questions and get the dialogue going about love," she added. "I wanted to make a great dance, rhythmic album, as well ... and we did that. I had great producers ... who helped me do that, helped take me and put it into this generation of music with all of that [and] we still were able to do that."

Related Videos Related Artists

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1663373/jennifer-lopez-lady-gaga-tracks.jhtml

Christina DaRe Eva Longoria Daniella Alonso Jessica Alba Mariah Carey

First Look: ABC Releases The First Image Of The New ?Charlie?s Angels?

In mid-March we got to see some (fairly staged) photos of the new cast of Charlie’s Angels — Annie Ilonzeh, Minka Kelly and Rachael Taylor — on the set of their new show. Today we get our first look at the first official promo photo of the Angels that has just been released by ABC [...]

Source: http://www.pinkisthenewblog.com/2011/05/first-look-abc-releases-the-first-image-of-the-new-charlies-angels/

Kelly Hu Trista Rehn Michelle Obama January Jones Aubrey ODay

Did Guy Ritchie Get Circumcised For Madonna?

Um, ouch. A new report going around this week makes the claim that Guy Ritchie, ex-husband of Madonna, underwent a circumcision to have the foreskin removed from his penis so that he could be in compliance with Maddy‘s Kabbalah beliefs. Now, baby boys get circumcised all the time … but apparently, Ritchie was among the [...]

Source: http://www.pinkisthenewblog.com/2011/05/did-guy-ritchie-get-circumcised-for-madonna/

Missy Peregrym Zoe Saldana Katie Holmes Connie Nielsen Sarah Silverman

Jay Mohr Becomes a Dad Again on Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is typically a day for celebrating but May 5 this year was extra special for Jay Mohr and Nikki Cox! Nikki gave birth to a baby boy, Meredith Daniel Mohr. According to E! News, the couple is elated about their newborn. ”We are over the moon, filled with joy and every other cliché new [...]

Source: http://www.okmagazine.com/2011/05/jay-mohr-becomes-a-dad-again-on-cinco-de-mayo/

Jessica Simpson Brittany Daniel Sanaa Lathan Malia Jones Yvonne Strzechowski

Jennifer Lawrence Would Rather Be Chubby Than "Look Like A Scarecrow"

Jennifer Lawrence photo

"I don't really diet or anything. I'm miserable when I'm dieting and I like the way I look. I'm really sick of all these actresses looking like birds… I'd rather look a little chubby on camera and look like a person in real life, than look great onscreen and look like a scarecrow in real life."

Jennifer Lawrence in Canada's Flare magazine on why she doesn't diet. "Chubby" is the last word I would use to describe Jennifer, though. I love it when starlets have such a self-accepting body image. [E! Online]

Source: http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-jennifer-lawrence-would-rather-be-chubby-than-look-like-a-scarecrow/?eref=RSS

Coco Lee Christina Applegate Daisy Fuentes Emma Watson Amanda Swisten

Candice Swanepoel: Photo Shoot Sexy

The camera definitely loves her, and Candice Swanepoel looked stunning at a photo shoot in Spain yesterday (May 5).

The blonde super babe showed off her posing prowess in a variety of new items for Victoria?s Secret?s summer line.

Speaking of Victoria?s Secret, there?s a brand spanking new Dream Angels clip directed by ?Transformers? helmsman Michael Bay.

Joining Candice on the commercial are hotties like Lily Aldridge, Adriana Lima, Erin Heatherton, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Chanel Iman.

Source: http://celebrity-gossip.net/candice-swanepoel/candice-swanepoel-photo-shoot-sexy-503033

Brooke Burke Bridget Moynahan Claudette Ortiz Luján Fernández Jennifer Love Hewitt