Even though Lady Gaga wasn’t in Wednesday Season 1, she became inextricably tied to the show when TikTok users paired Wednesday’s (Jenna Ortega’s) now-iconic dance scene with a sped-up version of Gaga’s “Bloody Mary.” (In the show, the dance was set to The Cramps’ “Goo Goo Muck.”)
Gaga quickly embraced the connection, getting in on the viral dance trend herself. She even posted about the trend on X, writing, “Slay Wednesday! You’re welcome at Haus of Gaga anytime (and bring Thing with you, we love paws around here)”
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But instead of Wednesday coming to Gaga, it was Gaga who came to Wednesday. In Nov. of 2024, Entertainment Weekly broke the news that Gaga would star in Wednesday Season 2. The casting was a match made in heaven, not only because of the “Bloody Mary” connection, but also because Lady Gaga, Mother Monster herself, is basically the patron saint of outcasts like those we meet in Wednesday. She would fit right in at Nevermore!
Since the casting announcement, Gaga has been a key part of the Wednesday media machine. She performed an eight-minute medley at Netflix’s TUDUM event in June of 2025, she turned looks on the Wednesday premiere red carpet, and she even released a new single, “The Dead Dance,” tied to the release of Wednesday Season 2, Part 2.
Who does Lady Gaga play in Wednesday Season 2?
Jenna Ortega and Lady Gaga at the “Wednesday” Season 2 premiere.
Credit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Netflix
It’s a shame, then, that Gaga is barely in Wednesday. She shows up in Season 2, episode 6 as Rosaline Rotwood, a long-dead psychic Raven and Nevermore teacher who taught Wednesday’s Grandmama Hester Frump (Joanna Lumley). Wednesday visits her grave in order to temporarily restore her psychic ability.
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In a vision, Rosaline — floating ethereally in an all-white gown — tests Wednesday’s resolve. She’ll give her her power back for as long as Wednesday manages to hold her hand over a lit candle. If she removes her hand too early, she’ll have to pay a terrible price. (If you’ve ever wondered how Lady Gaga would execute Dune‘s gom jabbar test, now you know.)
Of course, Wednesday’s plan goes awry when Enid (Emma Myers) snaps her out of her vision. That prompts the terrible price: a body swap between the two polar opposites. From then on out, Rosaline vanishes from the episode, save for a brief moment when she basically FaceTimes Wednesday (in Enid’s body) through a statue.
How long is Lady Gaga in Wednesday?
So how long is Gaga’s much-hyped Wednesday appearance? Using very scientific methods (an iPhone timer) and a strict rubric (I’m only counting scenes, not the image of her portrait or the runtime of “The Dead Dance”), I discovered that Gaga was in Wednesday for a whopping one minute and 42 seconds. That’s half an “Abracadbra”!
Gaga’s short runtime feels borderline criminal given her acting prowess (she’s an Oscar nominated actress!) and the hype in the lead-up to the appearance. But before we lock Wednesday showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar up in the “Telephone” jail for the lack of Gaga, it’s important to remember that Gaga was only on Wednesday‘s set for one day, meaning we were never going to get anything more than a glorified cameo. Still, a girl can dream.
Plus, when it comes to cameos, Gaga floating around onscreen, channeling Wednesday‘s version of a Bene Gesserit, and then kicking off Freaky Friday-style body swap chaos isn’t a bad way to go.
Wednesday Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.