The name of Harley Quinn became a trend thanks to the fact that in the last few days the trailer of the movie “Joker: Folie à Deux” was revealed, which will show the love story that the protagonist, Arthur Fleck, will live after the acquaintance. a woman who is hospitalized in the same mental hospital as him.
The birth of Harley Quinn in the Batman universe: actress Arleen Sorkin was the key
Although the “Joker’s girlfriend” is known thanks to the comics, movies and TV series, her origin is very interesting, since, contrary to what many would think, she is not found in the graphic comics. It all started when DC Comics writer Paul Dini wanted to give the Joker a female companion for his Batman: The Animated Series project. Although at first she didn’t know how to start, everything changed when she saw her friend Arleen Sorkin on TV.
She was a well-known actress who appeared on the popular show “Days of Our Lives,” which began airing in 1965. In one of her episodes, Arleen, who played the character Calliope Jones, dressed up as a jester clown and was there when the scriptwriter of DC inspired the creation of Harley Quinn.
So, in 1992, the young blonde would specifically appear in episode 8 of the first season of ‘Batman: the animated series’. Something worth noting is that Harleen Frances Quinzel’s name was very similar to Arleen Sorkin’s, and the name of her fake identity, Harley Quinn, also includes the word “arlequin”, referencing the clown outfit the actress once wore.
Arleen Sorkin was the voice of Harley Quinn for 22 years
As if that wasn’t enough, Dini asked Sorkin to voice the Joker’s sidekick and she happily accepted the request until the end of the series, which was in 1994.
It didn’t take long for the character to become accepted by Batman fans, in fact, Sorkin went on to bring Harley Quinn to life with her voice in other cartoons and video games such as ‘Batman: Mask of the Phantasm’, ‘Batman: Arkham Asylum ‘ , ‘Superman: the animated series’, ‘DC Universe Online’, ‘The New Adventures of Batman’ or ‘Justice League’.
In 2012, Arleen Sorkin made her mark as Harley for the last time in the video game ‘DC Universe Online: The Last Laugh’, marking the end of her involvement in the world of Batman and DC Comics after 22 years.
Paul Dini’s muse, who helped create this enigmatic character, died in 2023 aged 67 of complications from pneumonia and multiple sclerosis, but remains an iconic figure for Harley Quinn fans, who recognize her her contribution to its construction. iconic character, who transcended and remains more alive than ever today.
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Source: univision
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
