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Arleen Sorkin

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Arleen Sorkin
Sorkin in 2011
Born
Arleen Frances Sorkin

(1955-10-14)October 14, 1955
Washington, D.C., U.S.
DiedAugust 24, 2023(2023-08-24) (aged 67)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actress
  • screenwriter
  • comedian
  • presenter
Years active1983–2011
Spouse
​
(m. 1995)​
Children2
RelativesDavid Lloyd (father-in-law)

Arleen Frances Sorkin (October 14, 1955 – August 24, 2023) was an American actress, screenwriter, television presenter and comedian. Sorkin is known for portraying Calliope Jones on the NBC daytime serial Days of Our Lives and for serving as the real-life inspiration and voice for DC Comics character Harley Quinn, co-created by her friend Paul Dini on Batman: The Animated Series.

Early life and education

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Arleen Frances Sorkin was born on October 14, 1955 in Washington, D.C. to Irving and Joyce Sorkin.[1] Her father was a dentist who was a producer on the 2004 film Something the Lord Made.[2] Sorkin had two brothers, Arthur and Robert.[1] Her family is Jewish.[3]

Career

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Sorkin began her career in cabaret in the late 1970s and early 1980s as a member of the comedy group The High-Heeled Women, alongside Mary Fulham, Tracey Berg, and Cassandra Danz. [4]

One of her more prominent roles was the wacky but lovable Calliope Jones, as seen on Days of Our Lives. She played this part from 1984 to 1990 and made return visits in 1992 and 2001. She reprised her role on the soap for the fourth time on February 24, 2006. She returned to Days for a limited run beginning on May 5, 2010.[5]

From 1987 to 1989, Sorkin played Geneva, a sexy maid to yuppie couple Richard and Linda Phillips, on the Fox dramedy series Duet. She would reprise this role on one episode of Open House, the sequel series to Duet.[citation needed]

She was the original female co-host on America's Funniest People in 1990. In 1992, Sorkin was dismissed from America's Funniest People by producer Vin Di Bona. In response, Sorkin filed a lawsuit against Di Bona, claiming she was dismissed from the show due to her race, after ABC Chairman Dan Burke had suggested to Di Bona that Sorkin be replaced by an African-American or a person of another ethnic minority. Sorkin sought $450,000 for lost earnings, and an additional unspecified amount for harm to her professional reputation and emotional injury. She additionally claimed that after she denounced the move as being racially motivated, Di Bona changed plans and hired new cohost Tawny Kitaen, who was also white.[6]

Sorkin's writing included for the Tiny Toon Adventures 1990–1992 television series, and co-writer of the story and screenplay of the 1997 Jennifer Aniston film, Picture Perfect.[citation needed]

Alongside providing the voice, the character of Harley Quinn was based on her,[7][8] after Paul Dini (her friend since college), saw her play a jester from a dream sequence in the soap opera Days of Our Lives.[9][10] Dini then patterned Harley Quinn on Sorkin, incorporating aspects such as her mannerisms and "very snappy, wisecracking, bubbly blonde" personality.[11][12][9] In recording Harley Quinn's voice, Sorkin spoke in her normal Brooklyn accent while putting in a "little Yiddish sound", since Dini made the character Jewish, another aspect of the character borrowed from Sorkin.[10][13][14][15][16][17] Harley Quinn made her first appearance in the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Joker's Favor" originally intended to appear in a single episode, but reaction to the character and Sorkin's voice performance was positive, so Quinn was written into the show regularly, and appeared in further DC Animated Universe series, including The New Batman Adventures, Static Shock, Justice League, Gotham Girls, and the animated film Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. Her last performances as Harley Quinn were the video games Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009) and DC Universe Online (2011).

For the series Frasier (1993–2004), produced by her husband Christopher Lloyd, Sorkin would perform as a caller to Frasier Crane's radio show; the lines would later be dubbed over by a celebrity caller.[18] In the final episode of Frasier, Sorkin made an onscreen appearance as the owner of a monkey.[citation needed]

Personal life

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Sorkin married television writer-producer Christopher Lloyd in 1995, with whom she had two sons,[19] Eli and Owen.[20]

Death

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Arleen Sorkin died in Los Angeles on August 24, 2023, at the age of 67, of complications from pneumonia and multiple sclerosis.[1]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1983 Trading Places Woman at Party Uncredited
1985 From Here to Maternity Judy Television film
1986 Odd Jobs Diner Waitress
1987 Paul Reiser Out on a Whim
1991 Oscar Vendetti's Manicurist
Ted & Venus Marcia
I Don't Buy Kisses Anymore Monica
1993 Perry Mason: The Case of the Killer Kiss Peg Ferman Television film
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Ms. Bambi (voice) Uncredited
1994 It's Pat Herself
2000 Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker Harley Quinn / Harleen Quinzel (voice) Direct-to-video
2004 Comic Book: The Movie Ms. Q (Studio Secretary)

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
  • 1984–1990,
  • 1992,
  • 2006,
  • 2010
 Days of Our Lives Calliope Jones 427 episodes
1986–1989 The New Hollywood Squares Panelist
1987 The New Mike Hammer Traci Baskin Episode: "The Last Laugh"
1987–1989 Duet Geneva 50 episodes
1989 Open House Episode: "Parade of Homes"
Family Feud Herself [21]
1990 Dream On Donna di Angelo Episode: "Angst for the Memories"
Room for Romance Episode: "Fool's Good"
1990–1992 America's Funniest People Co-host
1991 Taz-Mania Veronica (voice) Episode: "Bewitched Bob"
1992–1994 Batman: The Animated Series Harley Quinn / Harleen Quinzel (voice) 9 episodes
1997–1999 The New Batman Adventures 6 episodes
1997 Superman: The Animated Series Episode: "World's Finest" (Three-Parter)
2000–2002 Gotham Girls 25 episodes
2003 Static Shock Episode: "Hard as Nails"
Justice League Episode: "Wild Cards" (Two-Parter)
2004 Frasier Rachel Episode: "Goodnight, Seattle: Part 2"

Video games

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Year Title Voice role Notes
1994 The Adventures of Batman & Robin Harley Quinn / Harleen Quinzel Sega CD version
2001 Batman Vengeance
2009 Batman: Arkham Asylum
2011 DC Universe Online Final role

Writer

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Year Title Notes
1997 Picture Perfect Screenplay, story

Awards and nominations

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Year Association Category Nominated work Result
2009 Spike Video Game Awards Best Voice Batman: Arkham Asylum (as "Harley Quinn") Nominated
1988 Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Days of Our Lives Nominated
1989 Nominated
1985 Soap Opera Digest Awards Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role in a Daytime Serial Won
Outstanding New Actress in a Daytime Serial Won
1986 Outstanding Comic Relief Role on a Daytime Serial Won
1988 Outstanding Comic Performance by an Actress: Daytime Won
2011 Peabody Awards Shared with Jessica Hernández (editor) Bhutto Won
2011 International Documentary Association Video Source Award
Shared with Duane Baughman (director/producer)
Johnny O'Hara (director/writer)
Mark Siegel (producer)
Glenn Aveni (executive producer) 		Won

References

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  1. ^ a b c Genzlinger, Neil (September 7, 2023). "Arleen Sorkin, Soap Opera Star With a Claim to Batman Fame, Dies at 67". The New York Times. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  2. ^ McLellan, Dennis (October 25, 2007). "Irving Sorkin, 88; dentist saw Hollywood dream come true as award-winning producer". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  3. ^ Jaffe, Alex (October 4, 2021). "The Jewish Roots of Harley Quinn". DCComics.com. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  4. ^ "Arleen Sorkin Dead". The New York Times. September 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  5. ^ Kroll, Dan J. (April 4, 2010). "Sorkin to return as the zany Calliope Jones". Soap Central. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  6. ^ "Former TV Co-Host Suing Producer". Buffalo News. April 18, 1993. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
  7. ^ Jirak, Jamie (October 15, 2020). "Mark Hamill Pays Tribute to Original Harley Quinn Arleen Sorkin". Comicbook.com.
  8. ^ @TheAnimatedBat (October 14, 2020). "Happy Birthday to the Legendary Arleen Sorkin! The original voice of & real life inspiration for Harley Quinn!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  9. ^ a b "One on One with Paul Dini – HoboTrashcan". Hobo Trashcan. January 3, 2006. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  10. ^ a b Riesman, Abraham (February 5, 2020). "The Strange, Hidden Story of Harley Quinn". Vulture. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  11. ^ Errico, Marcus (September 23, 2017). "#BatmanDay: The strange but true history of Harley Quinn revealed!". Yahoo!. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  12. ^ Dini, Paul; Chip, Kidd (1998). Batman Animated. New York City: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 978-0-06-107327-4.
  13. ^ Riesman, Abraham (October 6, 2017). "An Oral History of 'Batman: The Animated Series'". Vulture. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  14. ^ Ito, Robert (August 2, 2016). "Harley Quinn, Just the Nice, Fun-Loving Psycho Next Door". The New York Times. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  15. ^ Jaffe, Alex (November 21, 2019). "Harley Quinnesday: The Jewish Roots of Harley Quinn". DC UNIVERSE INFINITE. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  16. ^ Riesman, Abraham (February 17, 2015). "The Hidden Story of Harley Quinn and How She Became the Superhero World's Most Successful Woman". Vulture.com (New York). Archived from the original on February 18, 2015. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
  17. ^ Jankiewicz, Pat (n.d.). "Quinn-tessentials: Interview with Arleen Sorkin". Starlog. Archived from the original on May 16, 2008 – via Harley-Quinn.com.
  18. ^ Sorkin, Andrea (July 7, 2012). Fatman on Batman. Interviewed by Kevin Smith. Podcast.
  19. ^ Whipp, Glenn (August 22, 2014). "Christopher Lloyd's award-winning funny bones". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 22, 2014.
  20. ^ "The art of writing and making films: Flushed Away". "About the Filmmakers", Flushed Away press kit, via The Writing Studio. Archived from the original on February 25, 2007.
  21. ^ Family Feud (1989): Funny Men vs Funny Women on YouTube
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