Arleen Sorkin, 'Days of Our Lives' Actress & Harley Quinn Voice, Dies at 67

Arleen Sorkin, known for her performance as Calliope on "Days of Our Lives" and as the original voice of Harley Quinn, has died at 67.

Her passing was confirmed on Twitter by Neil Kaplan, a fellow voice actor, who wrote, "It broke my heart to hear… the original voice of Harley Quinn, Arlene Sorkin has passed away.   I adored her work as HQ & as Calliope in “Days of Our Lives.”

"Star Wars" icon Mark Hamill tweeted, "Devastated to learn we've lost the brilliant Arleen Sorkin. Not just a wonderful talent, but a truly wonderful person. I'm grateful not only to have worked with her, but to have been her friend. Sending my heartfelt condolences to her family & loved ones."

DC co-head James Gunn posted on Instagram, "Rest in Peace, Arleen Sorkin, the incredibly talented original voice of Harley Quinn, who helped to create the character so many of us love. Love to her family and friends. ❤️"

Sorkin was born October 14, 1955, in Washington, D.C. She was a cabaret performer and worked in a comedy troupe in the '70s and '80s, and found fame as Calliope Jones on "Days of Our Lives" (1984-1990; 1992; 2001; 2006; 2010).

She was also a regular on the series "Duet" (1987-1989), was a co-host on "America's Funniest People" (1990), and as a writer worked on "Tiny Toon Adventures" (1990-1992) and the Jennifer Aniston vehicle "Picture Perfect" (1997).

It was Sorkin who inspired the character of Harley Quinn, the Joker's girlfriend — her college roommate, Paul Dini, created the character, which first appeared on "Batman: The Animated Series" (1992). The character was directly influenced by a series of out-there dream sequences Sorkin performed in on "Days," and Sorkin was the first voice actor to breathe life into Harley Quinn, doing so in several TV series and other projects.

Lady Gaga will be seen as Harley Quinn in the feature film "Joker: Folie à Deux," coming in 2024.

She won four Soap Opera Digest Awards and shared a Peabody Award with Jessica Hernández.

Sorkin is survived by her husband of 26 years, TV producer and writer Christopher Lloyd; and their sons Eli and Owen.