That was quick! Kaley Cuoco has already lined up her next big role. She will voice the title role in the upcoming Harley Quinn animated series after the final season of The Big Bang Theory.
The actress, 32, announced the news on Wednesday, October 3, during a surprise appearance at New York Comic-Con, where DC Universe also unveiled a short, funny teaser for the show.
“I’ve always loved animation. I did it years ago, and I haven’t been in the animation world in a while,” she told the audience, via Entertainment Weekly. “[Harley] is so edgy. It’s obviously a very adult comedy, and with such a world-renowned character, it’s been a blast to record.”
Cuoco revealed that the series, which is expected to premiere in 2019, will begin with her character breaking up with The Joker as she becomes the “best badass super villain that there is.”
“She just doesn’t want to be Joker’s girlfriend anymore,” she explained. “She wants to lead the pack, which I find very appropriate for this kind of day and age and vibe that we’re in. … It has definitely been empowering. To sit in a booth and scream and cuss and yell at boys for hours at a time, it has been an absolute blast. Not having to do hair and makeup has made it that much better.”
The Harley Quinn voice cast also includes Lake Bell, Alan Tudyk, Ron Funches, JB Smoove, Jason Alexander, Wanda Sykes, Tony Hale and Chris Meloni.
CBS announced in August that The Big Bang Theory will end with its 12th season, which premiered on Thursday, September 27.
“It has been a wild array of emotions, these last few months,” Cuoco, who has played Penny since the sitcom’s 2007 premiere, told Us Weekly exclusively in September. “But everything happens for a reason, and I’m ready to move forward in my life.”
