Born in Los Angeles in August 1933, the statuesque blonde (she stands 5ft 11in) began as a dancer, becoming a prima ballerina with the Los Angeles Civic Grand Opera Company while still a teenager. From there, she pivoted to acting, slowly carving out a place for herself in Hollywood.
She’s forever linked to her role as Catwoman on the 1960s hit series Batman, starring opposite Adam West and Burt Ward. Newmar appeared in 13 episodes before Eartha Kitt stepped into the catsuit for the third season.
This month, she popped up in a rare Instagram photo looking remarkably youthful beside her longtime friend Stefanie Powers of Hart to Hart fame, who praised her as a shining example of joyful living.
Newmar’s Hollywood rise was gradual. In the early 1950s, she took small, often uncredited roles — including a chorus part in the 1953 film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes starring Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell. She later appeared in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (then credited as Julie Newmeyer).
Her big breakthrough came on Broadway in 1959 with The Marriage-Go-Round, which earned her a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress. She reprised the role in the 1961 film adaptation alongside Susan Hayward and James Mason, landing a Golden Globe nomination for Most Promising Newcomer.
From 1966 to 1967, she made television history as the first live-action Catwoman. In a 2023 interview with the Television Academy, Newmar described the character as “sexy, seductive, sensuous,” explaining that she leaned into the physicality and humor of the role. She credited the show’s success partly to its bold use of color — rare for television at the time — and its stylized, campy visuals under producer William Dozier at 20th Century Fox.
When asked whether she realized Catwoman would become iconic, she said she simply knew the material and cast — including West and Ward — were strong, and sometimes that magic just clicks.
Over the years, others have donned the catsuit, including Michelle Pfeiffer, Halle Berry, Anne Hathaway and Zoe Kravitz. Newmar has said Pfeiffer is her favorite portrayal, praising her range and creativity.
Beyond Batman, Newmar appeared in numerous series including Star Trek, The Twilight Zone, Columbo and The Love Boat. She also headlined the 1964–65 sci-fi sitcom My Living Doll, playing Rhoda, a prototype robot with a genius-level IQ — a role she once called the most challenging of her career because she had to strip away natural human emotion and movement.
Her most recent credited role came in 2017, when she voiced Catwoman in Batman vs. Two-Face. Outside of acting, Newmar has also ventured into real estate and other business pursuits.
Decades later, she remains a living piece of television history — and still looks effortlessly glamorous doing it.
