At the end of August, the news broke that that actor Arleen Sorkin had passed away at age 67. Sorkin was best known for playing Calliope Jones in Days of Our Lives in addition to originating the role of Harley Quinn in Batman: The Animated Series. Harley Quinn debuted in 1992 in the episode “Joker’s Favor,” and Sorkin continued to voice the character in various shows and games over the course of many years. Harley has since become a fan-favorite character with Margot Robbie taking over the role in live-action and Kaley Cuoco voicing her in Max’s animated series, Harley Quinn. Today saw the release of Harley Quinn‘s fourth season finale, which featured a tribute to Sorkin.
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An image seen before the episode shows early sketches of the original Harley with the message, “In Memory of Arleen Sorkin 1955-2020.” You can view the tribute below:
Arleen Sorkin’s Husband Writes Tribute:
Sorkin’s husband Christopher Lloyd recently wrote a touching tribute about his late wife in Variety.
“When you arrive at home on a Tuesday evening and have to double-check your own address because there is a line of valet parkers in front, one of whom hands you a ticket, and when you proceed into your home of find a crowd of well-dressed people, most of whom you do not know, and an orangutan sitting on your chair at the head of the table – when all of this happens and you’re not really that surprised, there is a better than average chance that you are married to Arleen Sorkin,” Lloyd wrote.
He added elsewhere, ” I came to learn that she worried about everyone. Which often meant the bulk buying of items that ‘someone might need.’ While I did grow accustomed to opening my front door and stepping into, say, a concert given by a newly out of the closet, 300-pound former NFL lineman whose singing aspiration she had decided to champion, I never quite got used to opening a cabinet door and having 12 defibrillators fall out (“who knows who might need one — they’re good to have!”). Other cabinets held quantities of baldness-reversing combs, battery-powered fly swatters, reversible belts with digital message display (“could help someone break the ice on a first date”). As a comedy writer I should be ashamed to admit I missed the irony when an opened closet nearly buried me alive under 15 earthquake preparedness kits.”
“But her spirit never flagged. She loved people, believed in them,” the writer concluded. “I’m not sure Harley Quinn, the now world-famous character based upon Arleen and whose original voice she provided, wasn’t defined by that very quality, that achy loyalty, an unwillingness not to lead with her heart, come what may.”
Our thoughts are with Sorkin’s family and friends at this difficult time.
