Elizabeth Malecki
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth Malecki is a professional dancer, actress, and aerobics instructor
, who is best known for her portrayal of Sonya Blade in the original Mortal Kombat
arcade game.
Like many of the MK actors at the time, she was employed at Lakeshore Athletic Club in northern Chicago when Midway came calling in 1992 in search of martial artists willing to shoot digitized footage of the game's characters. Following fans' requests for a female character during early beta testing of MK, she was brought on board by Midway to play Sonya, who was a last-minute addition to the game.
After the success of MK, Malecki felt that she deserved a share of the profits after her uncredited likeness was also used in one of the backgrounds in Mortal Kombat II
. In 1997, she filed a lawsuit together with fellow MK actors Philip Ahn and Katalin Zamiar
. The lawsuit was ruled in favor of Midway, stating that in Illinois, a claim for quantum meruit
cannot succeed where there is a valid, enforceable agreement between the parties.
Malecki was replaced by Kerri Hoskins
as Sonya in Mortal Kombat 3
. She has maintained a relatively low profile since then, aside from the lawsuit. As of 2010, she is married with two sons.
Aerobic exercise
Aerobic exercise is physical exercise of relatively low intensity that depends primarily on the aerobic energy-generating process. Aerobic literally means "living in air", and refers to the use of oxygen to adequately meet energy demands during exercise via aerobic metabolism...
, who is best known for her portrayal of Sonya Blade in the original Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat (video game)
Mortal Kombat is a 1992 fighting-game developed and published by Midway for arcades. In 1993, home versions were released by Acclaim Entertainment. Released in the Fall of 1994, the Microsoft Windows 3.1x version was released by Activision Interactive. It is the first title in the Mortal Kombat...
arcade game.
Like many of the MK actors at the time, she was employed at Lakeshore Athletic Club in northern Chicago when Midway came calling in 1992 in search of martial artists willing to shoot digitized footage of the game's characters. Following fans' requests for a female character during early beta testing of MK, she was brought on board by Midway to play Sonya, who was a last-minute addition to the game.
After the success of MK, Malecki felt that she deserved a share of the profits after her uncredited likeness was also used in one of the backgrounds in Mortal Kombat II
Mortal Kombat II
Mortal Kombat II is a competitive fighting game originally produced by Midway Games for the arcades in . It is the second game in the Mortal Kombat series. Like its predecessor, various home versions were produced...
. In 1997, she filed a lawsuit together with fellow MK actors Philip Ahn and Katalin Zamiar
Katalin Zamiar
Katalin Rodriguez-Ogren is an American martial artist, sportswriter and actress.-Biography:...
. The lawsuit was ruled in favor of Midway, stating that in Illinois, a claim for quantum meruit
Quantum meruit
Quantum meruit is a Latin phrase meaning "what one has earned". In the context of contract law, it means something along the lines of "reasonable value of services".In the United States, the elements of quantum meruit are determined by state common law...
cannot succeed where there is a valid, enforceable agreement between the parties.
Malecki was replaced by Kerri Hoskins
Kerri Hoskins
Kerri Hoskins is a former glamour model and video game actress.Hoskins is best known for portraying Sonya Blade in several incarnations of the game beginning with Mortal Kombat 3. She toured the United States and Europe portraying Sonya Blade in the Mortal Kombat: Live Tour, appearing at venues...
as Sonya in Mortal Kombat 3
Mortal Kombat 3
Mortal Kombat 3 is a fighting game developed by Midway and released in 1995, first as an arcade game. It is the third game in the Mortal Kombat series...
. She has maintained a relatively low profile since then, aside from the lawsuit. As of 2010, she is married with two sons.