Actor Arleen Sorkin, who lent her voice to the iconic DC Comics character Harley Quinn, is no more. As per the US-based publication The Hollywood Reporter, Harley Quinn breathed last on Thursday. She was 67. DC co-head James Gunn shared the news with a post on Instagram dedicated to the memory of Sorkin. “Rest in Peace, Arleen Sorkin, the incredibly talented original voice of Harley Quinn, who helped to create the character so many of us love. Love to her family and friends,” Gunn shared. Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn to Return in DC Universe? James Gunn’s Tweet Strongly Hints So!.
Mark Hamill, who often recorded his lines as the Joker opposite Sorkin, also remembered her in a tribute, writing, “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.” Harley Quinn was intended to be a one-episode character when she debuted on Batman: The Animated Series in the 1992 episode “Joker’s Favor,” which introduced her as a henchwoman to Hamill’s Joker. Arleen Sorkin, Original Voice of Harley Quinn, Passes Away at 67.
Born on Oct. 14, 1955, in Washington, Sorkin worked in a comedy troupe and as a cabaret performer in the 1970s and ’80s, then played Jones on Days of Our Lives from 1984-90, with return engagements in 1992, 2001, 2006 and 2010. Her other acting credits include Duet, Open House, Dream On, Ted & Venus, I Don’t Buy Kisses Anymore and Frasier. From 1990-92, she co-hosted America’s Funniest People alongside Dave Coulier. She is survived by her husband, producer-writer Christopher Lloyd, and their two children.