The original voice of Harley Quinn and pillar of DC Comics’ rise in recent decades, Arleen Sorkin has passed away this weekend.
On Sunday, August, 27, 2023, the original voice actress of DC’s Harley Quinn and Days of Our Lives veteran, Arleen Sorkin was reported dead at 67. Many fans and people connected to her through DC Comics‘ projects have shared their grievances of this tragic passing. A representative for Sorkin’s husband, television producer and screenwriter Christopher Lloyd, confirmed to EW that she died after a long battle with multiple sclerosis. The family asks that any donations be made to the National MS Society.
Her family shared their thoughts on the loss of Sorkin, “We will always remember our dear Arleen for her immense generosity of spirit. Talented, yes, and dogged, too, as evidenced by her tenacious, decades-long fight with a terrible disease. But more than that, she was a loving presence in the lives of her two boys, Eli and Owen; her mother, Joyce; her brothers, Robert and Arthur; and the countless other children, old and young, whom she took under her beautiful wing over the years. It’s a sad day for us, but a joyous one, too, knowing how many people today are summoning her memory and smiling.”
Sorkin broke out into TV acting in the soap opera drama Days of Our Lives in the 1980s, where she played the eccentric Calliope Jones. But what established her as a notable voice was lending her talent and birthing the iconic character of Harley Quinn in Batman: The Animated Series. Landing the gig was almost a no-brainer as she was college friends with the animated series’ co-creator Paul Dini. But her performance in a dream sequence on Days of Our Lives was where the inspiration for Harley took place, since she was dressed as a jester.
The voice actor behind Darkwing Duck and other ’90s characters, Jim Cummings shared on Twitter/X, “RIP Arleen Sorkin, the original voice of #HarleyQuinn. You paved the way for an entire generation and I’ll never forget our time working together.” Famous actor of Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise, but also the long-time voice to the Joker across many projects, Mark Hamill expressed their sympathies. “Devastated to learn we’ve lost the brilliant Arleen Sorkin. Not just a wonderful talent, but a truly wonderful person. I’m grateful not only to have worked with her, but to have been her friend. Sending my heartfelt condolences to her family & loved ones,” Hamill wrote on Twitter/X.
Sorkin and Harley made their grand debut on the 22nd episode titled “Joker’s Favor” on September 11, 1992. Then, the character hit DC Comics the following year on The Batman Adventures #12 in September 1993 non-canonically. Canonically, she made her first appearance in Batman: Harley Quinn #1 in October 1999. Dini and Bruce Timm brought Harley to life as she was meant to be a henchwoman for the supervillain Joker. Sorkin has played the iconic character in many other shows, video games, and other projects.
Sorkin’s portrayal of Harley Quinn was amazing to watch as she played a woman deeply in love with Joker, and seemingly more unstable than Joker at times. Many fans and analysts have noted their abusive relationship, especially through different iterations like in Margot Robbie’s version in the Suicide Squad film, where Jared Leto played the Joker alongside.
Sorkin’s inception and performance of Harley Quinn on Batman: The Animated Series became regarded as one of the biggest contributions to the Batman canon, as she became her own major villain. We have seen this again through Robbie’s depiction in the film Birds of Prey and the recently popular DC animated show The Harley Quinn Show where Haley Cuoco voices Harley. In the near future, Lady Gaga will also be set to add her portrayal as Harley in Joker 2. Sorkin made her final appearances in video games, working on DC Universe Online and Batman: Arkham Asylum.
“There is no Harley Quinn without Arleen Sorkin,” wrote writer Jeff Harris on Twitter/X. “She was literally the inspiration for the character’s creation & brought her to life. Harley could have been nothing but a generic moll of the Joker, but today, Harley Quinn is one of the pillars of DC Comics. Thank you, Arleen.” Many more fans and colleagues continue to share their condolences for Arleen Sorkin and her family.
