We here at Geek Anything are devastated at the loss of Arleen Sorkin, the original voice and inspiration of Harley Quinn.
Quinn was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm for Batman: The Animated Series in 1992. She was originally intended to be a one-off character, as a henchwoman/sidekick for the Joker. She became so popular that she kept returning and outgrew her role. That was in no small part due to Sorkin’s inspired performance. Sorkin voiced Quinn in several DC animated series and video games. She appeared as Harley in Superman: The Animated Series, Gotham Girls, Static Shock, and Justice League. She also provided Quinn’s voice in several video games, including the final role of her career for DC Universe Online in 2011.
Arleen Sorkin’s career started in the 1970s and early 1980s in cabaret and live comedy before transitioning to television work. She played the role of Callipe Jones for 6 years on the long running soap opera Days of Our Lives from 1984 until 1990. In true soap opera fashion, she returned to the series several times, between 1992 and 2010. It was a scene on Days that helped inspire Paul Dini to create the character of Harley Quinn.
Sorkin’s other TV roles include a two year stint on Fox’s Duet. She also co-hosted America’s Funniest Home Videos from 1990 to 1992 and worked as a writer, including scripting for Warner Brother’s Tiny Toon Adventures and co-wroting 1997’s Picture Perfect, starring Jennifer Aniston, Jay Mohr, and Kevin Bacon.
Her passing comes just a few months after the death of Kevin Conroy. Conroy voiced Batman in the animated series and several other projects opposite Sorkin.
Tributes from friends and co-stars
Condolenscese and messages from fans and friends flooded social media when news was released. Some notable tributes came from Mark Hamill, who was the Joker opposite Sorkin’s Harley, Tara Strong, who stepped in to Harley Quinn’s patten leather boots after Sorkin, and DC Films head James Gunn.
Arleen Sorkin was married to television producer Christopher Lloyd (Wings, Fraiser, Modern Family) and had two sons.
