7
Francesca Root-Dodson, Gotham (2018-2019)
OK, so, technically this character’s name is “Ecco,” but she’s styled like Harley Quinn and acts like Harley Quinn, and only has a different name because of some likely rights issues. So we’re counting Gotham‘s version of Harley Quinn in our list.
And she’s fine! But the whole nature of this show—doing some Batman stuff, but just eschewing it a little bit, and with Batman not involved—feels a little off for the sake of this list. But this is a perfectly valiant performance as a Harley Quinn-esque character, even if officially, it’s not quite Harley.
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6
Jamie Chung, Batman: Caped Crusader (2024)
The new animated series Batman: Caped Crusader comes from Bruce Timm, who is one of Harley Quinn’s co-creators back in the Batman: The Animated Series era. So it’s interesting to see the way he re-creates Harley Quinn in Caped Crusader, this time out of the Joker’s shadow. Here, Harley is still Dr. Harleen Quinzel, but without the influence of the Joker she still adapts a sinister jester-like alter ego, torturing and psychologically attacking several wealthy Gotham City businessmen. Chung plays the character with a smooth, velvety sinister, and while we don’t see a ton of her in Caped Crusader‘s debut season, it’s certainly an intriguing take on what has now become a classic villain.
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5
Jenny Slate, The Lego Batman Movie (2017)
Ever since her single season on Saturday Night Live, Jenny Slate has had a completely thriving career. But while she’s done some great stuff in the worlds of rom-com (like I Want You Back) and dramedy (like Obvious Child), she’s always been particularly fun when playing chaotic, like her recurring role as Mona Lisa Saperstein in Parks and Recreation. She’s always been a talent voice actor, appearing in a number of films and shows through the years. Those two modes come together in The Lego Batman Movie, where Slate puts her own spin on Harley, abandoning her typical Brooklyn accent and just opting to get silly and funny with it. The Lego Batman Movie isn’t at the top of anyone’s mind when thinking about this kind of thing, but it’s really quite fun.
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4
Lady Gaga, Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)
If there’s one thing we can say about Lady Gaga’s film career so far, she is committed. House of Gucci and, now, Joker: Folie à Deux may not have reached the high heights of A Star Is Born (which, for my money, should’ve won many more Oscars than it actually did), but Gaga is always giving every minute of every role her all, and that’s really commendable.
In Joker: Folie à Deux, her version of Harley Quinn has been modified. She’s no longer a doctor; instead, she’s a fellow asylum inmate of the Joker (or, Arthur), who goes by Lee (her last name, however, is still Quinzel). The movie is essentially a courtroom drama that takes some twists and turns, but Gaga’s committed performance and chemistry with Phoenix make her portrayal an interesting, if unconventional, take on the character.
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3
Arleen Sorkin, Batman: The Animated Series (1992 – 1995)
You’ve got to pay respects to the O.Gs, and in the case of Harley Quinn, that’s Arleen Sorkin in Batman: The Animated Series. While Harley started with the intent of just being a one-off henchwoman for the Joker, she eventually blew up in popularity—starting in Batman: The Animated Series. It’s Sorkin’s bounce-off-the-walls energy and chaos (and that famous red, black, and white get-up) that has helped to make this character one of the most famous in all of the comic book and superhero world. This classic take on the character is the one that will go down in the history books, and we wouldn’t fault anyone for having this at the top of the list—but we just like the way some evolutions on Harley have gone just a bit more.
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2
Kaley Cuoco, Harley Quinn (2019 – )
Just going to be blunt in saying this: Harley Quinn is the most underrated long-running show on TV. Now going into its fifth season, Harley Quinn focuses on its titular character in a Gotham City timeline where she’s broken up with the Joker and decided to set out on her own. Kaley Cuoco’s take on Harley is, just like the show, super funny and irreverent; it’s the best kind of adult animation in that it’s funny, yes, but it’s also clever and has a super specific POV. Cuoco plays with the show’s impressive voice cast wonderfully, but she has particularly good rapport with Lake Bell as Poison Ivy. This is one of the most fun takes on Harley—or, “Harls,” as Ivy calls her—we’re ever going to get.
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1
Margot Robbie, Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey, The Suicide Squad (2016, 2020, 2021)
The Wolf of Wall Street may have been Margot Robbie’s breakout role, and 2023 may have turned Barbie into her signature character, but nothing let her be as utterly entertaining as her three turns in the now-discontinued DC Extended Universe as Harley Quinn. Suicide Squad is a disastrous film that nonetheless houses Robbie’s perfect, effortless, and wildly entertaining take on Harley; she’s crude, violent, and entertaining in all the best ways. So entertaining, in fact, that Warner Bros. made sure to make things right—when she next showed up in 2020’s Birds of Prey and 2021’s The Suicide Squad, the movies around her were much, much better, and her performances remained just as delightful.
Margot Robbie to Harley Quinn is equal to the superhero castings like Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, Michael Fassbender as Magneto, and Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man—just utter perfection in a way that totally paid off for every second she spent on screen.
Stream Suicide Squad Here
Stream Birds of Prey Here
Stream The Suicide Squad Here
