The 1960s TV bombshell once captivated audiences in a glittering black leather catsuit as the ‘cat devil’, a role that cemented her status as a sex symbol.
Earlier this month, the actress was spotted on a rare outing in Los Angeles, just days before she turned 93 on August 16.
The Tony winner, who previously opened up about living with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, was pictured using a mobility scooter as she made her way through a car park.
The iconic villain cut a stylish figure in a chic blue button-up waist, teamed with a black top and trousers. She completed the look with a straw hat and black UGG slippers.
She had led a fascinating life both on and off screen, from appearing in a George Michael music video and patenting her own panty design to famously feuding with actor Jim Belushi, who once accused her of robbing his house.
Can you guess who she is?
This 1960s TV bombshell once captivated audiences in a glittering black leather catsuit as the “cat devil,” a role that cemented her status as a sex symbol
Earlier this month, the actress was spotted on a rare outing in Los Angeles, just days before she turned 93 on August 16. Can you guess who she is?
That’s right, it’s Julie Newmar! She played the original Catwoman in the Batman television series, which ran from 1966 to 1967.
The Daily Mail has contacted Newmar’s representatives for comment.
Batman hasn’t always been a brooding, dark hero who seeks the path of justice in every villain he encounters. During Batman’s first on-screen showing, Adam West’s portrayal was nothing short of campy fun.
Newmar joined in as the first to act as the iconic villain Catwoman, whom the vigilante superhero dubbed the “cat devil” with both disdain and affection.
It is widely believed that her performance as Catwoman cemented the performances that audiences would come to know in the future: witty, sultry and smart. Her experience as a dancer and choreographer brought her feline movements to life.
She even adopted two cats to study their behavior, based on what she observed for an iconic scene where she drank milk from a saucer to seduce Robin. She told Emmys.com that she purposely didn’t gobble it up like a cat, because actresses in the 1960s wouldn’t stick their tongues out on camera for decency reasons.
Her dance background also helped when she personally choreographed a scene in which she twirls her derriere towards the camera as she slides down the railing before telling Batman she wants to marry him to get between him and Boy Wonder Robin. She said she was inspired by choreography titans Bob Fosse and Jack Cole.
She was also the mastermind behind the tight catsuit that symbolizes the seductive villain.
The star sewed an S-curve seam at the waist, just like on her other costumes, which made it fit better on the body. The custom costume has now been donated to the Smithsonian Institution.
That’s right, it’s Julie Newmar! She played the original Catwoman in the Batman television series, which ran from 1966 to 1967.
Newmar was the first to act as the iconic villain Catwoman, whom the vigilante superhero dubbed the “cat devil” with both disdain and affection
She also dazzled on Broadway, with roles in Silk Stockings and Li’l Abner, above in 1956, before winning the Tony Award for Best Actress in the 1961 production of The Marriage-Go-Round.
The Tony winner, who previously opened up about living with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, used a mobility scooter as she made her way through a parking lot
The iconic villain wore a chic blue button-up at the waist, paired with a black top and pants
She completed the look with a straw hat and black UGG slippers
She had led a fascinating life both on and off screen, from appearing in a George Michael music video to patenting her own panty design
She also had a famous feud with actor Jim Belushi, who once accused her of robbing his house
Earlier this year, the star sent the film industry into a frenzy when he argued that male executives “should” run the film industry because “they do it best.”
The veteran actress reflected on her own history with Hollywood decades before the rise of the #MeToo movement. She said she believes “men are very good for women,” despite accusations against major movie moguls, including Harvey Weinstein, who is currently serving a 16-year prison sentence for rape and sexual assault convictions.
‘I love men too much. I understand them. And the heads of studios, yeah, they break down a door and they do this or they do that… that’s how they act. Do you think you’re going to change things?’ she said in an interview with The Guardian.
‘Not very much… And you know what? It works. It works beautifully, because men are very good to women.’
Newmar started as a ballerina at the Los Angeles Opera when she was 15 years old.
She then landed a gig as a choreographer and dancer for Universal Studios at the age of 19, before landing her first major role as Dorcus in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
Broadway soon came into the spotlight, with roles in Silk Stockings and Li’l Abner before winning the Tony Award for Best Actress for her role as Swedish vixen Katrin Sveg in the 1961 production of The Marriage-Go-Round.
Newmar’s permanent fame came from her appearances on TV. The 6-foot-2 screen goddess was often characterized as an Amazonian beauty because of her height and dancer’s body.
Newmar started as a ballerina at the Los Angeles Opera when she was 15 years old. She then landed a gig as a choreographer and dancer for Universal Studios at age 19, before landing her first major role as Dorcus, a bride in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Above, circa 1960
Newmar’s permanent fame came from her appearances on TV. The 6ft tall screen goddess was often characterized as an Amazonian beauty due to her height and dancer’s body
Her first leading role was as Rhoda the Robot in My Living Doll – before she became Catwoman. She also appeared in episodes of Star Trek, Route 66, The Twilight Zone, Bewitched and The Monkees.
When her roles began to diminish, she appeared in low-budget films for twenty years, simultaneously becoming an entrepreneur and investing in lingerie.
She had some torrid love affairs with prominent figures. She was engaged to novelist Louis L’Amour and was romantically linked to actor Ken Scott and comedian Mort Sahl.
In 1977 she married attorney J Holt Smith and together they had her greatest love: her son John Jewel Smith.
Although they divorced in 1984, Newmar never stopped advocating for her son, who was born with a hearing impairment and Down syndrome.
She also advocates for LGBT rights, with a strong connection to the cause through her brother John, who is gay.
In 2004, Newmar would find itself in one of her only public scandals when she was sued by her neighbor, Belushi, who accused her of a “campaign of intimidation” to “drive him out of his home.”
In his filing, he alleged that Newmar, who was 71 at the time, had destroyed a fence and landscaping at his home. He also claimed that she spied on his family and played loud music aimed at his backyard. The actor demanded four million dollars in damages.
But their feud was resolved two years later when Newmar appeared on Belushi’s ABC sitcom According to Jim, where they poked fun at their infamous disagreement.
In 2010, she talked about Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, also known as hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy (HMSN). The inherited neurological disorder affects the peripheral nerves that transmit signals between the brain, spinal cord and the rest of the body.
She had some torrid love affairs with prominent figures. She was engaged to novelist Louis L’Amour and was romantically linked to actor Ken Scott and comedian Mort Sahl. Above, circa 1960
‘CMT helped me learn to focus. It has made everything I do more important,” she said in an interview with ABC7.
Newmar has retreated from the spotlight and focuses on caring for her son and tending her garden of more than 80 varieties of roses.
In an interview with Better homes and gardens in 2023, Newmar said, “Some people like dogs. I like plants. I think I fell in love with gardens because that’s where I felt safest as a child: in the garden with my father.’
Walls of roses tower from the ground around her home, creating beautiful arches for you to walk through.
