DC's new Harley Quinn show has an impressive voice cast that brings its iconic characters to life in a new way. The long-awaited animated series is the first original cartoon for the DC Universe streaming service and hopes are high that it will capture the essence of the Clown Princess of Crime.
The Harley Quinn cast is notable in that it has a diverse ensemble of performers, who are as acclaimed for their voice acting as they are in other fields. Many of Harley Quinn's voice actors are talented stand-up comedians and writers, who have written and produced their own shows and movies. The Harley Quinn cast also includes a larger than average number of Emmy nominees and winners.
This has resulted in an oddly intelligent animated sitcom, comparable to The Venture Bros. and Rick and Morty, which presents genuine emotional arcs and character development amid the comedy. But don't worry, old-school Harley fans - you still get to see ol' Harl smash people's heads in but good with a mallet! Here's the rundown of the Harley Quinn cast and where you might have heard these voices before.
Kaley Cuoco as Harley Quinn
A former psychiatrist turned supervillain sidekick, Harleen Quinzel (aka Harley Quinn) is the show's anti-heroine. The first episode sees Harley trying to break free of The Joker, before going on to establish herself as a villain on her own terms with her own gang over the course of the season. Harley is voiced by Kaley Cuoco, who is best known for playing Penny Hofstadter in The Big Bang Theory. Despite being famous for her live-action acting, Cuoco has extensive experience as a voice actress, having voiced Brandy in Brandy and Mr. Whiskers and Kirstee in Bratz.
Lake Bell as Poison Ivy
A self-described eco-terrorist who refuses to play the game of the male-dominated supervillain industry, Dr. Pamela Isley (aka Poison Ivy) takes it upon herself to help Harley break out of Arkham Asylum and break free of her old life, in thanks for Harley helping her learn to be less of a misanthrope. Now Harley's roommate and best friend, Ivy finds herself frequently cleaning up after Harley's messes, despite her continual denials that she is not part of her gang. Poison Ivy is voiced by writer/director Lake Bell, who is perhaps most famous for voicing Katrina Peanutbutter on BoJack Horseman.
Alan Tudyk as The Joker & Clayface
Beloved by fans everywhere for his work as Wash on Firefly and K-2SO in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Alan Tudyk pulls double duty on Harley Quinn, lending his voice to both The Joker - Batman's arch-nemesis and Harley Quinn's former lover - and Clayface, a shape-shifting bartender who joins Harley's gang. While never given a civilian name in the show, this Clayface seems to be based upon the Basil Karlo version of Clayface from the comics and is an aspiring actor who gets a little too into his roles.
JB Smoove as Frank The Plant
While Poison Ivy can talk to plants, Frank is the only one of her house plants that has the ability to talk back. A surly couch potato (but not literally a potato, despite practically living on the couch), Frank encourages Harley's more insane schemes because he likes seeing how things are going to play out. Frank is voiced by JB Smoove, who is perhaps most famous for playing Leon Black on Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Tony Hale as Dr. Psycho
Once Wonder Woman's official nemesis, the telekinetic and telepathic Doctor Psycho fell out of favor with the supervillain community after crossing a line that even the leadership of the Legion of Doom found objectionable. With no other options available to him, he agreed to take on a role in Harley Quinn's gang, if only to prove to the world that he didn't hate women and to prove to himself there was no way his life could get any worse. Doctor Psycho is voiced by Tony Hale, who won two Best Supporting Actor Emmys for his work on Veep as Gary Walsh. He is also still fondly remembered as Buster Bluth on Arrested Development.
Ron Funches as King Shark
Recruited into Harley's gang as the tech guy and social media manager, King Shark quickly found himself taking on a more active role in their heists. Though he is quick to protest any suggestion that just because he is a giant shark-man he must be a blood-thirsty monster, he does have to admit he has a thing about seeing blood. He is voiced by Ron Funches, who is best known for voicing Cooper in the Trolls movies.
Jason Alexander as Sy Borgman
Once a hot-shot half-robot spy for the federal government back in the 1980s, time and the world passed Cy Borgman by a while ago. Still, he makes a nice living for himself now managing several properties, including Poison Ivy's apartment and, eventually, the secret base for Harley Quinn's gang. Cy is voiced by Jason Alexander, most famous for playing George Costanza on Seinfeld.
James Adomian as Bane
Heavily influenced by The Dark Knight Rises take on the character, Harley Quinn's version of Bane is nowhere near as frighting as the figure who "broke the Bat" in the comics. A personable fellow who tries to get along with his fellow Legion of Doom members, Bane is largely viewed as the bottom rung on the corporate ladder of organized villainy. He is voiced by James Adomain, who has been heard voicing dozens of characters in many animated series including BoJack Horseman, The Venture Bros., and American Dad.
Diedrich Bader as Batman
The Dark Knight Detective and defender of Gotham City, Batman finds himself the victim of many of Harley's crimes - both as Batman and as Bruce Wayne. Despite this, he still doesn't take her seriously and leaves the job of catching Harley to lesser heroes, even as she continues trying to get his attention, if only because it will annoy The Joker. He is voiced by Diedrich Bader, who played Bill Ericsson on Veep and previously voiced Batman in the Batman: Brave and the Bold cartoon.
Chris Meloni as Commissioner Gordon
They say it's lonely at the top and Jim Gordon is proof of that. Deeply depressed and emasculated by the futility of his job, Jim is desperate for a friend he can vent to about his problems with his wife. Batman refuses to be that friend and, given how clingy the Commissioner is, it's hard to blame him. Commissioner Gordon is voiced by Chris Meloni, who is best known for playing George Winslow in The Handmaid's Tale and Detective Elliot Stabler in Law and Order: SVU.
Matt Oberg as Kite Man
Kite Man may have the most limited "superpower" imaginable, but he has an admirable commitment to a theme, even if it does mean his criminal activities are limited to days that are breezy but not too windy. Despite this, he's still considered a better boss than Harley Quinn by most of the thugs for hire at Noonan's Bar. He is voiced by Matt Oberg, who played Matthew Chestnut on Fresh Off The Boat and Buddy Calhoun on Veep.
Wanda Sykes as Qneen Of Fables
A powerful sorceress with an army of fairy tale creatures, the Queen of Fables was the last major female supervillain who tried to buck the system by forming her own gang and taking over the world. Trapped in an IRS tax guide and forced into a menial job offering low-cost accountancy services, she acts as a mentor figure to Harley Quinn, even as she plots her own comeback. The Queen of Fables is voiced by Emmy Award winning writer/actress Wanda Sykes, who can be seen in Black-ish as Daphne Lido.