She is a seductive actress known for her feline features and talents as an on-screen triple threat – with notable skills in acting, singing and dancing.
As a young woman, she started out her career as an uncredited dancer before becoming one of the seven brides on-screen in the iconic musical film Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
This dirty-blonde beauty, now 91, made it big on Broadway in productions such as Silk Stockings and Li’l Abner before breaking into television.
But it wouldn’t be till a 1966 superhero show that she stole the hearts of many young men and boys as they watched her on screen, strutting around as a villainess in a tight catsuit.
Can you guess who she is?
This actress made a rare public appearance on October 24
She was picking up an Uber Eats order
She took a spin on her scooter through the rose garden after she packed her meal into the basket on the front handle, while wearing a black ensemble and a pink panama hat
It’s Julie Newmar!
This iconic TV villainess made a rare appearance outside her home on October 24, as she rode her scooter to pick up an Uber Eats lunch delivery outside her Brentwood, Los Angeles home.
She wore an all black ensemble – cozier but reminiscent of her days as the first ever Catwoman – along with a pink panama hat.
Julie looked healthy as she posed by her stunning rose garden – she’s an avid gardener.
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.
Julie 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.
Julie was the first to perform as the iconic villainess Catwoman, being referred to as the ‘feline devil’ with both disdain and affection by Adam West’s Batman
It’s widely regarded that her performance as Catwoman solidified the renditions audiences would see in the future – witty, sultry and smart
Newmar starred on 13 episodes during the series – often acting as a barrier between Batman and Robin as they got up to wacky hijinks
It also helped that she adopted two cats to observe their behavior – applying that to one iconic scene where she sucked a saucer of milk to tempt Robin – she told Emmys.com that she didn’t lick it like a cat would 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.
The role of Catwoman was originally offered to Suzanne Pleshette, but when Julie’s brother came to visit her at her penthouse in New York City, she got a call for the gig.
Although she knew nothing about Batman, when her brother overheard the phone call, he implored her to take the role and she would appear in 13 episodes.
And that tight catsuit that’s emblematic of the seductive villain? She’s the brain behind it, sewing an S-curve seam into the waistline like she did with her other costumes, which improved how it lay on the body.
Julie’s fame came from her appearances on TV, she was often type-cast as an Amazonian beauty because of her height and dancer body
Julie makes a phone call during a Broadway stage production of ‘Li’l Abner’ in New York City
The modified costume has now been donated to the Smithsonian Institution.
Julie 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.
Broadway called her name, starring in Silk Stockings and Li’l Abner before becoming a best actress Tony winner for her performance in the 1961 production of The Marriage-Go-Round as the Swedish vixen Katrin Sveg.
Julie’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.
She earned the Tony best actress award for her performance in the 1961 production of The Marriage-Go-Round as the Swedish vixen Katrin Sveg
As her roles began to dwindle, she appeared in low-budget film for two decades – simultaneously dipping her toes into being an entrepreneur and investing in lingerie
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 twith 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, Julie never had 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, Julie would get into one of her only public scandals when she was sued by her next-door neighbor, actor James Belushi, who accused her of a ‘campaign of harassment’ to ‘drive him from his home’.
Julie has retreated from the limelight, focusing on caring for her son and tending to her garden which has over 80 varieties of roses
Walls of roses tower from the ground around her residence – creating beautiful arcs that are meant to be walked through
In his filing, he claimed Julie, 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 $4million in damages.
But this feud was resolved two-years-later when Julie appeared on Belushi’s ABC sitcom According to Jim where she played a children’s author who models a grumpy old man after Belushi’s character – resembling on-screen their dynamic.
Julie 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, Julie 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.
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