Arleen Sorkin, the actress who inspired and voiced the Batman character Harley Quinn, has passed away at 67 years old. Another voice actor named Neil Kaplan announced the actress’s death on Twitter. He shared the news of her passing, although her family has not officially commented on it.
Later, director James Gunn went on Instagram to post about the actress’s passing. Gunn remembered Arleen Sorkin as the very talented first voice of Harley Quinn, who played a big part in making the character many of us adore. Gunn sent love to her family and family.
It was Arleen Sorkin who brought life to the character of Harley Quinn with her voice from 1992 to 2012. On shows like Batman: The Animated Series, Static Shock, Superman: The Animated Series, and Justice League, Arleen Sorkin gave her voice. Apart from shows, on DC games like Batman: Arkham Asylum and DC Universe Online, Arleen Sorkin gave her voiceovers.
Harley Quinn’s rise to fame as a character in DC universe
Harley Quinn became among the people due to the efforts of writer Paul Dini and artist Bruce Timm. The character of Harley Quinn with Arleen Sorkin’s voice was first introduced on the show Batman: The Animated Series in 1992. From here on, the character got famous as a new addition to Batman’s group of villains.
Paul Dini sought inspiration from Arleen Sorkin to create the beloved character of Harley Quinn. During this time, Arleen Sorkin was working on the soap opera Days of Our Lives. Harley Quinn became so popular and loved that she also appeared in the Batman comic, movies, and cartoon books in 1999.
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Who is Arleen Sorkin?
Arleen Sorkin was an American who acted, wrote, hosted TV shows, and made people laugh as a comedian. She acted as Calliope Jones in the daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives. She was the main inspiration for the DC Comics character Harley Quinn, who was made by her friend Paul Dini for Batman: The Animated Series.
Arleen Sorkin was born on October 14, 1955, in Washington, D.C. Her family follows the Jewish faith. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Sorkin started performing in cabaret. She was part of a funny group called The High-Heeled Women, along with Mary Fulman, Tracey Berg, and Cassandra Danz.
The character Harley Quinn was created based on the actress Arleen Sorkin, who also provided the character’s voice. A friend named Paul Dini saw Arleen Sorkin act as a jester in a dream scene on a TV show called Days of Our Lives. He decided to make a character similar to that jester and gave her traits like Arleen Sorkin’s behavior and cheerful blonde personality.
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When recording Harley Quinn’s voice, Arleen Sorkin used her regular Brooklyn accent but added a bit of Yiddish sound to it, as the character was made to be Jewish, like Arleen.
Initially, Harley Quinn was meant to be in just one episode of Batman: The Animated Series. However, people liked the character and Arleen Sorkin’s voice acting so much that she became a regular character on the show.
Harley Quinn also appeared in other animated series and a movie. After a video game called DC Universe Online, Arleen Sorkin stopped being the voice of Harley Quinn and did not play a role in later DC projects.
People who like her and others in the entertainment world appreciate what Sorkin has done. She is good at acting in funny and serious roles, which shows her versatility. Her amazing acting and special voice have strongly impacted TV and cartoons, and she will be remembered for a long time.
