Lady Gaga Says She's 'Grown a Lot' as an Actress Since Appearing in 'Sopranos' as Extra

Lady Gaga is looking back at her small-screen acting start.

The singer and actress, 35, recently appeared on Entertainment Weekly's Awardist podcast, during which she reflected on one of her earlier acting gigs in 2001, realizing that she's come a long way since her small role as "Girl at Swimming Pool #2" on the ninth episode of season three of the HBO series.

"I have grown a lot as an actor," Gaga. "I studied a lot since I had that role. It wasn't really a role in The Sopranos. It was an extra in one scene."

"When I look back on that scene, I can see exactly what I did wrong in that scene," she added. "I didn't know how to listen in a scene. I was supposed to laugh, and it was sort of like, cue, laugh. ... I see it and I go, 'Oh, that's not a real laugh.' "

Fast forward and the pop star has an Oscar win (for Best Original Song) plus a nomination for Best Actress under her belt after starring in 2018's A Star Is Born, as well as a Golden Globe win for her work on TV's American Horror Story.

Gaga told EW that today, she sees herself as an actress who "really striving to be specific without thinking about it," noting that it takes years of practice.

"The nuance and being specific as an actor is something that can grow over time if you're willing to listen and really hear the other actor that you're working with," Gaga continued on the podcast. "Allow yourself to be surprised by your vulnerability, by your feelings and truly be open."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

For her latest role in Ridley Scott's Gucci, she plays Patrizia Reggiani, the wife of the heir to the fashion house, Maurizio Gucci, who ultimately had him killed.

"I was falling apart as [Patrizia] fell apart. When I say that I didn't break character, some of it was not by choice," said Gaga. "I took the pain I feel from being attacked when I was a young girl, from feeling left behind by people that I love, from feeling trapped that I can't go out into a world that I love. I took that pain and I gave it to her. ... I put my entire lifetime into her."

Scott told The Hollywood Reporter that he wanted Gaga for the part after seeing her in A Star Is Born.

"There was only one person ever in my sights at this moment in time who could carry this pretty forthright woman. I found [Lady Gaga] to be inordinately approachable and, frankly, a lot of fun. She's very smart and very, very perceptive. I knew after that first meeting, it was essential that she would do this part. She must. And, of course, because of her very recent success [in A Star Is Born], that made it a lot easier for us to get going and get a proper budget."