Arleen Sorkin, who inspired the character Harley Quinn and originated the role on Batman: The Animated Series and played Calliope Jones on the soap opera Days of Our Lives, died on August 24 2023 at the age of 67. The cause was complications from multiple sclerosis.
Arleen Sorkin was born on October 14 1955 in Washington, DC. She started her career performing in cabaret in the Seventies and in the early Eighties she was a member of the comedy troupe The High-Heeled Women, which also included Tracey Berg, Cassandra Danz, and Mary Fulham. She made her television debut in an uncredited role in a sketch on Saturday Night Live in 1982. She made her film debut in an uncredited bit part in the movie Trading Places in 1983. It was in 1984 that she began playing the role of Calliope Jones on the daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives. She continued to appear regularly on Days of Our Lives until 1990. She also played the main Geneva on the comedy Duet as well as its follow-up series Open House. In 1990 she began a two year stint as the co-host of America's Funniest Home Videos. She guest starred on the shows Mike Hammer, Dream On, and Room for Romance. She appeared in the movie Odd Jobs (1986).
In 1992 Arleen Sorkin returned to Days of Our Lives for one story arc. It was in 1992 that she originated the role of Harley Quinn on Batman: The Animated Series. Arleen Sorkin had attended college with Batman: The Animated Series co-developer and writer Paul Dini. Paul Dini was inspired to create Harley Quinn one day when he was sick home from work and watching Days of Our Lives. In that particular episode Arleen Sorkin, playing Calliope Jones, appeared in a dream sequence dressed as a harlequin. PAul Dini based the character largely on Miss Sorkin herself, even down to her mannerisms. Harley first appeared in the episode "Joker's Favour" and was meant to appear only once. As it turned out, the character proved to be a hit and appeared eight more times on Batman: The Animated Series. Arleen Sorkin would further voice Harley on the shows Superman: The Animated Series, The New Batman Adventures, Gotham Girls, Static Shock, and Justice League. She also voiced Harley Quinn in the video games The Adventures of Batman and Robin, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, Batman: Vengeance, Batman: Arkham Asylum, DC Universe Online, and DC Universe Online: The Last Laugh. She played Harley Quinn in the movies The Batman Superman Movie: World's Finest and Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.
In the Nineties Arleen Sorkin guest starred on the show Ted & Venus. She appeared in the TV movie Perry Mason: The Case of the Killer Kiss. She was a guest voice on the animated series Taz-Mania. She provided a voice for the animated film Batman:Mask of the Phantasm (1993). she appeared in the movies Oscar (1991) and I Don't Buy Kisses Anymore (1992).
In the Naughts she returned to Days of Our Lives for brief times as Calliope Jones. She guest starred on Frasier. She played Miss Q in Comic Book: The Movie. Sadly, by the Teens, Miss Sorkin's health no longer allowed her to pursue her career.
Arleen Sorkin was also a writer. She wrote a 1991 episode of the show Down Home. She also wrote episodes of Tiny Toon Adventures and an unsold pilot How to Marry a Billionaire. She co-created the show Fired Up with Paul Slansky. She wrote the story for the 1997 movie Picture Perfect.
Arleen Sorkin was a wonderful actress. So much was her impact as Calliope Jones on Days of Our Lives that people like me who didn't watch soap operas were aware of both her and her character. If Harley Quinn proved to be so popular that she not only continued to appear in various DC television and movie projects, as well as become part of the comic books, it is largely because of her performance as the role. Every actress who has played Harley Quinn ever since has drawn upon Arleen Sorkin's performance for inspiration. In Perry Mason: Case of the Killer Kiss, she played an expert on soap operas who assists Perry's investigator Ken Malansky on a murder case. In the final episode of Frasier she played the owner of a monkey.
Arleen Sorkin had a wonderful gift for playing off the wall characters. In some ways she was a throwback to the bubbly, but wisecracking blondes of the Golden Age of Hollywood. While some soap opera actors remain best known for the soap operas on which they appeared, Arleen Sorkin will be remembered for so much more.
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