How Kaley Cuoco Really Feels About Voicing An R-Rated Harley Quinn
Since debuting on "Batman: The Animated Series" in 1992, Harley Quinn has become one of DC's most iconic characters, and for good reason. Originally intended to be a one-shot character acting as a comic relief henchwoman of the Joker (Mark Hamill), Quinn was introduced in the BTAS season 1 episode "Joker's Favor" (via The Hollywood Reporter). The character quickly became a staple of the Batman family, fitting right alongside the Dark Knight's wild rogues gallery. Her popularity has since transcended the acclaimed animated series to be featured in numerous comics, TV shows, and live-action films, including Margot Robbie's beloved interpretation in the DC Extended Universe and Lady Gaga's upcoming turn as the character in "Joker: Folie à Deux."
Another more recent interpretation of Quinn that has seen a good amount of attention is Kaley Cuoco's version from the adult animated series, "Harley Quinn." Beginning in 2019, the show follows the high-octane misadventures of Quinn, her girlfriend Poison Ivy (Lake Bell), and their band of Gotham baddies as they set off to make it on their own. The show, which is currently airing its third season, has been received positively by both fans and critics, with an 89% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes. Much of the praise has gone to the show's darker, more adult-oriented tone that TV audiences have been longing to see from the character, especially in such a fun animated setting. Thankfully, it hasn't only been audiences that have enjoyed the down-and-dirty feel of the series.
Cuoco can't get enough of the R-rating
In an interview with Yahoo! Entertainment, the voice of the titular antiheroine from "Harley Quinn," Kaley Cuoco, admits that she is a fan of the show's R-rating. "I have loved the whole R-rating with Harley Quinn," the "Big Bang Theory" actress said, also mentioning that she enjoyed Margot Robbie's portrayal in "Birds of Prey." "I've loved the swearing. I've loved the screaming. I've loved the aggressiveness. It's totally insane and totally inappropriate — that's why I love it," Cuoco said. The actress is also a producer on the series with her production company, Yes, Norman Productions, and will be returning to the wild world of Gotham, as the series has been renewed for a fourth season. Along with Cuoco remaining as producer, the series will see writer Sarah Peters take over as new showrunner (via TVLine). A spin-off based on Kite Man currently entitled "Noonan" was also recently green-lit for HBO Max.
It seems no matter which tone we see the misadventures of Harley Quinn basked in, the lasting appeal always remains. In an interview with Den of Geek, Margot Robbie discussed what she finds enduring about playing Quinn after doing so under three different directors, saying, "I really find that people gravitate towards different characteristics of her. And there is so much to her, and there's a lot of great fun qualities, and there's a lot of bad qualities that are also very fascinating to play with."