Catwoman star Julie Newmar, 92, delights fans with rare public appearance


Julie Newmar originated the role of Catwoman in the '60s Batman TV series, and was replaced by Eartha Kitt in season three


julie newmar catwoman © Bettmann Archive
Katie Fitzpatrick
Katie FitzpatrickJunior Writer
6 hours ago
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'60s icon and Catwoman star Julie Newmar made a rare appearance at a fan event in California, and looked incredible as she greeted hundreds of her fans. The 92-year-old donned a green knit sweater with colored detailing for The Hollywood Show in Burbank and accessorized with a large fabric choker.

She pulled her gray curls back with a headband and added bright red lipstick to complete the look. It marked her first public appearance of 2026, and perhaps her last ever, as the show's organizer told Entertainment Weekly.

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David Elkouby, who organized the event alongside his wife, Esther Elkouby, shared that she would no longer attend fan events or conventions thereafter. "She's amazing," he added. "She didn't stop from the beginning until the very last person. She didn't get up from her chair. It's really a testament to her. She was there for the fans, and this was it."

"Thanks to all the wonderful people I met at Hollywood Show. Thank you everyone for being there," she wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of herself with a Catwoman poster.

Fans took to the comment section to share the love, with one writing: "Love you Julie. You were so kind and thoughtful to me on Saturday." Another chimed in: "You look amazing!" while third added: "Still my crush!" and a fourth said: "She looks absolutely exceptional."

Also in attendance at the event were several Batman alumni, including Eileen O'Neill (Millie Second), Nancy Kovack (Queenie), and Joan Collins (Siren).

American actress Julie Newmar in costume as Catwoman in a promotional portrait for the television series 'Batman', circa 1966. (Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)© Getty Images, Silver Screen Collection
Julie originated the role of Catwoman

Julie rose to fame in the '60s thanks to her turn as Catwoman in the TV series Batman, as she originated the role of the feline-inspired anti-hero. She only appeared in 13 episodes of the show and was replaced by Eartha Kitt in the third season due to scheduling conflicts, but remains the most iconic iteration of Catwoman in the character's history.

Other stars who have donned the catsuit in her wake include Michelle Pfeiffer, Halle Berry, Anne Hathaway and Zoë Kravitz. Julie reprised her role in the 2016 animated film Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders and in 2017's Batman vs. Two-Face.

julie newmar catwoman© Getty Images
She reprised her role in the 2016 and 2017 animated Batman films

Julie had already won a Tony Award when she began starring on Batman, thanks to her performance in the 1958 play The Marriage-Go-Round. She also starred in the 1961 film adaptation, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination.  

She also appeared in projects like Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Columbo, Melrose Place, and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, alongside Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes and John Leguizamo.

julie newmar glamour shot© Getty Images
She enjoyed a decades-long Hollywood career

Despite her prolific career, Julie shared that Catwoman was one of her favorite roles to date. "I'm realizing that through all the shows I've done – the television, film and stage – all the mediums I've worked in, Catwoman's costume was the one that allowed me to tell the story through my body," she explained to Bring Me The News. The costume now resides at the Smithsonian Institution.

"The words were brilliant, and funny on top of that," she added. "The producer hired the right people to do all the lighting, to do this, that and the other, and it was the right time in the right decade. It all worked." 

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