Lady Gaga: 'I've ditched wild persona'

Lady Gaga is in a better headspace now she's finally conquered her "fears and anxieties".

The outlandish singer made a name for herself in music thanks to her wacky outfits and smash hit pop songs. In the last few years she's mellowed, with her fiancé Taylor Kinney and a move into acting partly to thank. She stars in Glee creator Ryan Murphy's American Horror Story: Hotel as the Countess, and can't help but praises the cast and crew for their support.

"I feel happier than ever," Gaga smiled to America's OK! magazine. "The people I've been working with have been so kind and accepting of me, Ryan has allowed me to find myself and get past my fears and anxieties. I've been able to bond with the other cast members, and they've made me feel very normal and conformable. People always expect or want me to be wild - but now I just want to be a normal girl!"

The Countess is a sexy role, with Gaga having to strip naked and cover herself in blood for one of her first scenes. The 29-year-old describes her screen alter ego as a glamorous monster, and admits she does feel a connection to the dark character.

"I understand her loneliness and sense of isolation," she sighed. "I often felt lonely and depressed when I was growing up. It had nothing to do with my parents – it's just my brain chemistry, although it's probably hereditary. I spent a lot of time seeing doctors and taking different kinds of drugs to treat my depression. As I grew older, I found a way to release myself from those darker thoughts through music."

Season six of American Horror Story has been confirmed for an October 2016 release date.