Former NYU Tisch School of the Arts student Carly Waddell, known for her stint on The Bachelor, recently shed light on her college days with none other than the iconic Lady Gaga. In a candid interview on the Trading Secrets podcast with Jason Tartick, Waddell reminisced about their shared experiences in the heart of New York City.
Waddell recalled the daily routine of Gaga during their college years, where the budding star would captivate everyone with her musical talents. “We would eat in a dance studio, and there was a piano, and [Gaga] would sit at the piano every single day and just play and sing Wicked at the top of her lungs every day,” Waddell shared. “She was great, but I just wanted to eat my sandwich. And so I used to just eat in the hallway because she was driving me crazy.”
While Lady Gaga’s eccentricity was evident, Waddell noted that she never saw her as having a voice that outshone her peers. “She was one of the good ones, but I wouldn’t ever be like, ‘She was so above.’ But now she’s so above,” said Waddell, reflecting on Gaga’s remarkable journey to international stardom.
Waddell affectionately described the young Gaga as “extra” and remembered her distinctive fashion choices. “She would wear these really tight leotards, and she had really big boobs back then, and her boobs were just like coming out. She’s so ridiculous.”
However, what stood out most to Waddell was Gaga’s early dedication to her own music. “She started doing her own music way before she was doing musical theater stuff, and when she played at the NYU talent show, she was singing her own stuff, and I was like, ‘You can’t argue, that girl is really good,'” Waddell recalled. “She was good at everything, but she was better at her own stuff. She was down at the piano, wailing her own tunes.”
Both Carly Waddell and Lady Gaga eventually departed from the program around the same time, each on their unique paths to success. This glimpse into Lady Gaga’s college days serves as a testament to the determination and talent that propelled her to become the global superstar she is today.