15 Actresses Perfect for the Role of Harley Quinn in the DCU

Harley Quinn’s combination of clinical expertise, acrobatic combat, and unpredictable humor has been explored across comics, animation, and live-action, requiring an actor who can balance action sequencing with dialogue-heavy scenes. The character’s background as Dr. Harleen Quinzel, her ties to Gotham City figures, and her shifting alignment among villains and antiheroes make the role a showcase for performers with range across drama, comedy, and genre storytelling.

The following selections focus on working actresses with documented experience in action, dark comedy, or character-centric drama, along with credits that involve major studios, prestige television, and collaborations with notable filmmakers and showrunners. Each entry lists concrete projects, roles, and creative partners to illustrate the scope of their work.

Margot Robbie

Margot Robbie portrayed Harley Quinn in ‘Suicide Squad’, ‘Birds of Prey’, and ‘The Suicide Squad’, working with directors David Ayer, Cathy Yan, and James Gunn. She co-founded LuckyChap Entertainment, which produced ‘I, Tonya’, ‘Promising Young Woman’, ‘Barbie’, and the series ‘Maid’, and she has appeared in features including ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ and ‘Babylon’.
Robbie received an Academy Award nomination for ‘I, Tonya’ and additional nominations for ‘Bombshell’ and ‘Barbie’. Her producing credits extend to projects led by filmmakers such as Emerald Fennell and Greta Gerwig, and she has worked across studio tentpoles and independent productions.

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga plays Harley Quinn in ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’, directed by Todd Phillips and co-written with Scott Silver, opposite Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck. Her film work includes ‘A Star Is Born’, directed by Bradley Cooper, with music contributions and a credited lead performance that earned major industry nominations and awards.
Gaga has appeared on television in ‘American Horror Story’, collaborating with creator Ryan Murphy. Her discography includes multiple studio albums and global tours, and she has performed original songs for film soundtracks linked to her acting projects.

Kaley Cuoco

Kaley Cuoco voices Harley Quinn in the adult-animation series ‘Harley Quinn’, created by Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker, and Dean Lorey, and she serves as an executive producer on the show. She previously starred in the long-running sitcom ‘The Big Bang Theory’ and the comedy ‘8 Simple Rules’.
Cuoco headlined and executive-produced ‘The Flight Attendant’, developed from Chris Bohjalian’s novel, receiving multiple nominations from major television academies. Her additional credits include ‘Based on a True Story’ and voice roles in animated features and series.

Samara Weaving

Samara Weaving headlined the horror-comedy ‘Ready or Not’, directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, and appeared in ‘The Babysitter’ for director McG. Her filmography includes ‘Scream VI’ and ‘Guns Akimbo’, alongside television work such as ‘Ash vs Evil Dead’ and ‘SMILF’.
Weaving’s projects span action, thriller, and black comedy, frequently involving ensemble casts and practical stunt elements. She has participated in festival-premiering films and studio releases, collaborating with producers and writers across franchise and original material.

Emma Mackey

Emma Mackey broke out as Maeve Wiley in ‘Sex Education’, created by Laurie Nunn for Netflix, leading an ensemble that includes Asa Butterfield and Ncuti Gatwa. She played the title role in ‘Emily’, a biographical drama about Emily Brontë directed by Frances O’Connor.
Mackey appeared in ‘Death on the Nile’, directed by Kenneth Branagh from Agatha Christie’s novel, and in ‘Barbie’, directed by Greta Gerwig. She received the BAFTA Rising Star Award, recognizing notable emerging talent in film.

Jodie Comer

Jodie Comer starred as Villanelle in ‘Killing Eve’, created by Phoebe Waller-Bridge from Luke Jennings’s novels, earning BAFTA and Primetime Emmy awards. She has feature credits in ‘Free Guy’, directed by Shawn Levy, and ‘The Last Duel’, directed by Ridley Scott from a screenplay by Nicole Holofcener, Ben Affleck, and Matt Damon.
On stage, Comer led ‘Prima Facie’, written by Suzie Miller, earning major theatre awards in London and on Broadway. Her television work includes ‘Thirteen’, ‘Doctor Foster’, and ‘Help’, collaborating with writers and directors across contemporary drama and thriller formats.

Anya Taylor-Joy

Anya Taylor-Joy led ‘The Queen’s Gambit’, created by Scott Frank and Allan Scott, portraying chess prodigy Beth Harmon in a limited series for Netflix. She stars in ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’, directed by George Miller, set in the world established by ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’.
Taylor-Joy’s additional credits include ‘The Witch’ for director Robert Eggers, ‘Split’ and ‘Glass’ with M. Night Shyamalan, and ‘Last Night in Soho’ directed by Edgar Wright. She appears in ‘Dune: Part Two’ and has voice work in titles such as ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’.

Florence Pugh

Florence Pugh received an Academy Award nomination for ‘Little Women’, directed by Greta Gerwig from Louisa May Alcott’s novel. She starred in ‘Midsommar’, directed by Ari Aster, and ‘Lady Macbeth’, adapted from Nikolai Leskov’s novella.
Pugh portrays Yelena Belova in ‘Black Widow’ and related Marvel titles, working with directors Cate Shortland and Rhys Thomas. Her filmography includes ‘Fighting with My Family’ from writer-director Stephen Merchant and roles in ensemble and independent features.

Sydney Sweeney

Sydney Sweeney earned Primetime Emmy nominations for roles in ‘Euphoria’, created by Sam Levinson for HBO, and ‘The White Lotus’, created by Mike White. She also appeared in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and ‘Sharp Objects’, working with showrunners Bruce Miller and Marti Noxon.
Her feature credits include ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ directed by Quentin Tarantino, ‘Reality’ portraying whistleblower Reality Winner, and ‘Anyone but You’ for Columbia Pictures. She starred in and produced ‘Immaculate’ and led ‘Madame Web’ within Sony’s Marvel-adjacent films.

Zoey Deutch

Zoey Deutch led the Netflix romantic comedy ‘Set It Up’ and starred in ‘Not Okay’, written and directed by Quinn Shephard. She appeared in ‘Zombieland: Double Tap’ and the series ‘The Politician’, created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan.
Deutch produced and starred in ‘Buffaloed’, directed by Tanya Wexler, and headlined ‘Flower’ from writer-director Max Winkler. Her credits also include ‘Everybody Wants Some!!’ directed by Richard Linklater and supporting roles across studio and independent projects.

Hailee Steinfeld

Hailee Steinfeld received an Academy Award nomination for ‘True Grit’, directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, and a Golden Globe nomination for ‘The Edge of Seventeen’, written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig. She led the Apple TV+ series ‘Dickinson’, created by Alena Smith.
Steinfeld portrays Kate Bishop in Marvel’s ‘Hawkeye’ and voices Gwen Stacy in Sony’s animated ‘Spider-Verse’ films. Additional credits include leading the ‘Transformers’ film ‘Bumblebee’ and music releases as a recording artist with soundtrack contributions.

Chloë Grace Moretz

Chloë Grace Moretz starred as Hit-Girl in ‘Kick-Ass’, directed by Matthew Vaughn, and appeared in ‘Let Me In’ from director Matt Reeves. She headlined ‘Carrie’, directed by Kimberly Peirce, and worked with Martin Scorsese on ‘Hugo’.
Moretz leads the science-fiction series ‘The Peripheral’, based on William Gibson’s novel and developed by Scott B. Smith with executive producers Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy. Her filmography spans studio and independent titles across horror, drama, and action.

Kiernan Shipka

Kiernan Shipka portrayed Sally Draper in ‘Mad Men’, created by Matthew Weiner, and starred in ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’ for Netflix, developed by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. She has appeared in ‘Feud’, created by Ryan Murphy, and the horror feature ‘The Blackcoat’s Daughter’.
Shipka led the time-travel slasher ‘Totally Killer’ and co-starred in ‘White House Plumbers’, created by Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck. Her credits include voice work in animated projects and roles in contemporary thrillers and genre comedies.

Saoirse Ronan

Saoirse Ronan is a four-time Academy Award nominee with lead roles in ‘Atonement’, ‘Brooklyn’, ‘Lady Bird’, and ‘Little Women’. She has collaborated with directors Joe Wright, John Crowley, Greta Gerwig, and Wes Anderson, appearing in ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ and ‘The French Dispatch’.
Ronan’s recent work includes ‘The Outrun’, adapted from Amy Liptrot’s memoir, and appearances in ‘See How They Run’. Her stage credits include productions at major theatres, and her filmography spans period drama, contemporary comedy-drama, and ensemble features.

Dove Cameron

Dove Cameron starred in ‘Liv and Maddie’ for Disney Channel and led the ‘Descendants’ franchise created by Josann McGibbon and Sara Parriott. She performed in ‘Hairspray Live!’ and has released pop singles with multi-platinum certifications.
Cameron portrayed Ruby in ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ and voices Ghost-Spider/Gwen Stacy in ‘Marvel Rising’ and other animated projects. Her additional screen credits include ‘Schmigadoon!’ and various film and television roles across musical, comedy, and action-adjacent genres.

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