Harley Quinn is one of comic book’s most renowned characters. Normally seen next to Batman, and the Joker, Harley has actually begun to stray away from a side kick role, and into the spotlight. With Margot Robbie’s portrayal in this year’s Birds of Prey, Harley Quinn has quickly started to become a fan favorite. With Margot Robbie taking the big screen, an unlikely acctress has taken the reigns in the DC animated series. Kaley Cuoco will take the role as Harley in DC’s Harley Quinn animated series.
Kaley Cuoco is most famously known for her role as Penny in The Big Bang Theory, and one of the more frequently visited stores in the show, is a local comic book store. It’s only fitting that Cuoco would ironically become a character from one of those very comic books on the shelf. Cuoco told EW “That Penny turned into exactly who they wanted her to be.” The actress also made a quick shout out to The Big Bang Theory for kicking off her career in such an extraordinary way.
Taking on a role like Harley Quinn is no easy feat. There is so much pressure when playing such a beloved character like Harley, especially one that is so eccentric, and crazy. If you go over the top, it can come off as cheesy, but if you don’t go in enough the fans will notice. Cuoco talks about making it her own, “I didn’t want her to sound like anybody else…It’s a lot of me, and I’ve kinda turned it into my own thing.”
Cuoco isn’t the first actress you’d think of to play Harley, but she seems to be getting into it. The star also mentioned that she loved the script, and knew exactly the type of humor that Harley’s character inspires, Cuoco talks about the script’s “politically incorrect” style, and how she’s a big fan of it “From the minute I opened the first script and it starts like that, I fell on the floor laughing…You know exactly what the show is gonna be from the first moment, it’s so politically incorrect and crazy.” It’s nice to see that some writers can still think outside of the box without being politically rigid all the time.
Kaley Cuoco has the potential to be a great Harley Quinn. Even if she won’t be on the screen directly, all it takes is a good performance to bring everyone’s favorite Harley to brand new heights. Like the Joker, and Batman, there is always speculation on who will voice, or play the character, and with this comes the actor/actresses own take on a character. Cuoco voices her opinion on the classic character by stating, “She kicks ass, she loves her friends, she does bad things but for what she thinks are right reasons, she’s strong, she’s quirky, she’s fun.”