Actor Arleen Sorkin passed away on August 25 at the age of 67. She leaves behind a long legacy of roles, including one that's become iconic across TV, movies, comics, games, and more: Harley Quinn. Even though Sorkin isn't the only actor to portray Harley at this point, her mark on the character is indelible and inextricable.
Sorkin originated the role of Harley Quinn as a voice actor in a 1992 episode of Batman: The Animated Series titled 'Joker's Favor.' Writer and series co-creator Paul Dini initially planned for Harley to show up in just the one episode as one of the Joker's goons. However, rather than handing the role to one of the show's typical ensemble actors, Dini asked Sorkin to play the role, inspired by her appearance in a jester costume in an episode of the long running daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives, basing many aspects of Harley's mannerisms on Sorkin's voice and personality.
