This 1960s TV bombshell once captivated audiences in a shimmering black leather catsuit as the ‘feline 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 has previously opened up about living with Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease, was pictured using a mobility scooter as she made her way through a parking lot.
The iconic villainess cut a stylish figure in a chic blue button-up tied 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 and patenting her own pantyhose design to famously feuding with actor Jim Belushi, who once accused her of egging his home.
Can you guess who she is?
This 1960s TV bombshell once captivated audiences in a shimmering black leather catsuit as the ‘feline 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 famously played the original Catwoman in the television series Batman, which ran from 1966 until 1967.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Newmar’s representatives for comment.
Batman hasn’t always been a brooding, dark hero seeking the path of justice in every villain he encounters. During the first showing of Batman on-screen, Adam West’s rendition was nothing short of campy fun.
Newmar joined that fun as the first to perform as the iconic villainess Catwoman, being referred to as the ‘feline devil’ with both disdain and affection by the vigilante superhero.
It’s widely regarded that her performance as Catwoman solidified the renditions audiences would get 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, drawing on what she observed for an iconic scene in which she sipped milk from a saucer to tempt Robin. She told Emmys.com that she deliberately didn’t lap it up like a cat, because during the 60s, actresses didn’t stick out their tongues on camera for propriety.
Her dance background also helped when she personally choreographed a scene where she turns her derriere to the camera as she slides down the railing before telling Batman she wants to marry him to get in between him and Boy Wonder Robin – she said she took inspiration from choreography titans Bob Fosse and Jack Cole.
She was also the brain behind the tight catsuit that’s emblematic of the seductive villain.
The star sewed an S-curve seam into the waistline as she did with her other costumes, which improved how it lay on the body. The modified costume has now been donated to the Smithsonian Institution.
That’s right, it’s Julie Newmar! She famously played the original Catwoman in the television series Batman, which ran from 1966 until 1967
Newmar was the first to perform as the iconic villainess Catwoman, being referred to as the ‘feline devil’ with both disdain and affection by the vigilante superhero
She also thrilled on Broadway, with roles in Silk Stockings and Li’l Abner, above in 1956, before she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in the 1961 production of The Marriage-Go-Round
The Tony winner, who has 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 villainess wore a chic blue button-up tied 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 pantyhose design
She also had a famous feud with actor Jim Belushi, who once accused her of egging his home
Earlier this year, the star ruffled some feathers after stating 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 shared that she feels ‘men are very good to women’ despite allegations against big 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, yes, they break a door down and they do this or they do that … that’s how they act. You think you’re gonna change things?’ she said in an interview with The Guardian.
‘Not a whole lot … And you know what? It works. It works beautifully because men are very good to women.’
Newmar started out as a ballerina with the Los Angeles Opera when she was 15 years old.
She then got a gig as a choreographer and dancer for Universal Studios at 19, before landing her first major role as Dorcus in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
Broadway soon came calling, with roles in Silk Stockings and Li’l Abner before she won the Tony Award for Best Actress for her performance 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 5ft 11in screen goddess was often type-cast as an Amazonian beauty due to her height and dancer’s body.
Newmar started out as a ballerina with the Los Angeles Opera when she was 15 years old. She then got a gig as a choreographer and dancer for Universal Studios at 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 5ft 11in screen goddess was often type-cast as an Amazonian beauty due to her height and dancer’s body
Her first main role was as Rhoda the Robot in My Living Doll – before becoming Catwoman. She also starred in episodes of Star Trek, Route 66, The Twilight Zone, Bewitched and The Monkees.
As her roles began to dwindle, she appeared in low-budget films for two decades – simultaneously dipping her toes into being an entrepreneur and investing in lingerie.
She had a few torrid love affairs with prominent figures. She was engaged to novelist Louis L’Amour and romantically linked to actor Ken Scott and comedian Mort Sahl.
In 1977, she married lawyer 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 because of her brother John, who is gay.
In 2004, Newmar would get into one of her only public scandals when she was sued by her next-door neighbor, Belushi, who accused her of a ‘campaign of harassment’ to ‘drive him from his home’.
In his filing, he claimed Newmar, who was then 71, destroyed a fence and landscaping at his home. He also claimed she spied on his family and played loud music aimed at his backyard. The actor sought $4 million 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 of their infamous disagreement.
In 2010, she spoke about having 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 a few torrid love affairs with prominent figures. She was engaged to novelist Louis L’Amour and romantically linked to actor Ken Scott and comedian Mort Sahl. Above, circa 1960
‘CMT has helped me learn to focus. It’s made everything I do more important,’ she said in an interview with ABC7.
Newmar has retreated from the limelight, focusing on caring for her son and tending to her garden which has over 80 varieties of roses.
In an interview with Better Homes and Gardens in 2023, Newmar said: ‘Some people love dogs. I love plants. I think I fell in love with gardens because that’s where I felt safest as a kid – out in the yard with my father.’
Walls of roses tower from the ground around her residence – creating beautiful arcs that are meant to be walked through.
