Julie Newmar

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Birthday:

16 August 1933, Los Angeles, California, USA

Birth Name:

Julia Chalene Newmeyer

Height:

180 cm

Julia Chalene Newmeyer (Chalane was her mother's maiden name) was born on August 16, 1933 in Los Angeles, California. Her father was a one-time professional football player (LA Buccaneers, 1926), her mother was a star of the Follies of 1920. From an early age, Julie studied piano, dance and classical ballet. She graduated from high school at the age of 15, and spent a year touring Europe with her mother and brother. Julie became prima ballerina for the Los Angeles Opera. She attended UCLA studying classical piano, philosophy and French. Julie went to New York and tried out for Broadway musicals; in 1955, Julie made her Broadway debut as the ballerina in "Silk Stockings". Julie won acclaim for her role as Stupefyin' Jones in "Li'l Abner". Though audiences and critics alike were stupefied by her good looks, that is not the compliment Julie wanted.Julie wanted to be known for her comedy, as she told the New York Times: "Tell me I'm funny, and it's the greatest compliment in the world." She had beauty, brains and a fantastic sense of humor. Promoting her various Broadway and off-Broadway show appearances, Julie often posed as a pin-up girl. Making the transition to television, Julie appeared in Rod Serling's science fiction series The Twilight Zone (1959), playing Miss Devlin (devil). As physical perfection, Julie was perfect to play Rhoda the Robot in My Living Doll (1964), the sitcom had an enthusiastic cult following. In 1966, urged on by her friends, she would try out for and be cast as Catwoman (a character she had never heard of) in the wildly popular television series Batman (1966) Due to a movie commitment, Julie was unavailable to play Catwoman in the third season (her part was taken by Eartha Kitt).Julie was very busy in the 1960s and 1970s, making guest appearances in many television series and several television movies. Because of her love of the stage and live performances, Julie toured the country in stage productions of "Damn Yankees" and "Dames at Sea" and others. Becoming an entrepreneur, in 1977, Julie turned up in People Magazine wearing her new invention "Nudemar" pantyhose. In the 1980s, Julie appeared in nine films while she was busy raising her son and working in the real estate business. Julie went back to UCLA to take a few real estate courses. In 1991, Julie toured in a stage production of "The Women". Still very active, and very beautiful, Julie appeared at fan conventions occasionally. Show less «

I'm magnificent! I'm 5' 11" and I weigh 135 pounds, and I look like a racehorse.

Tell me I'm beautiful, it's nothing. Tell me I'm intellectual - I know it. Tell me I'm funny and it's the greatest compliment in the world a...Show more »

Tell me I'm beautiful, it's nothing. Tell me I'm intellectual - I know it. Tell me I'm funny and it's the greatest compliment in the world anyone could give me. Show less «

[on how she got her most famous role, Catwoman on Batman (1966)] I had lived in New York at the time on Beekman Place. I remember it was a w...Show more »

[on how she got her most famous role, Catwoman on Batman (1966)] I had lived in New York at the time on Beekman Place. I remember it was a weekend, Friday or Saturday, and my brother had come down from Harvard with five or six of his friends, and we were all sitting around the sofa, just chatting away, when the phone rang. I got up and answered it, and it was this agent or someone in Hollywood, who said, "Miss Newmar, would you like to play Catwoman on the Batman series? They are casting it out here." I was insulted because he said, "It starts Monday." I said, "What is this?" That's how television is done: they never know what they are doing until yesterday. Well, my brother leaped off the sofa. I mean he physically levitated and said, "Batman! That's the favorite show at Harvard. We all quit our classes and quit our studies and run into the TV room and watch this show." I said, "They want me to play Catwoman." He said, "Do it!" So I said, "Okay, I'll do it.". Show less «

It was so wonderful being on Batman (1966) because you could be nasty and mean, and in the '50s, women could never -- unless you were some '...Show more »

It was so wonderful being on Batman (1966) because you could be nasty and mean, and in the '50s, women could never -- unless you were some 'B' picture actress -- be mean, bad and nasty. It was so satisfying; I can't tell you how satisfying it was. Show less «

[interview in Star Trek Magazine, #1, September/October 2006] Star Trek (1966) -- oh my goodness, what a following that show has! I get aske...Show more »

[interview in Star Trek Magazine, #1, September/October 2006] Star Trek (1966) -- oh my goodness, what a following that show has! I get asked about it all the time, and I receive lots of fan mail from it, even though I only did one episode. Show less «

(July 2008) Today, I walk - but very slowly. My balance is also affected. People might think I've had too much to drink, but I never drank, ...Show more »

(July 2008) Today, I walk - but very slowly. My balance is also affected. People might think I've had too much to drink, but I never drank, smoked or took drugs my entire life. If I'm out in public, I grab on to some charming, darling fellow who can steady me. I've been encouraged by the many men who have offered me their shoulders. Show less «

[on Catwoman fans] It's an honor -- it really is -- that something stays for so long with people in the sweet depths of their feelings.

[on seeing a Catwoman tattoo] I've seen some interesting flesh... It wasn't just the Catwoman. It was me.

Whenever I'm stopped on the street, men tell, "Ms. Newmar, did you know that you were my first turn-on?... How old were you?".

I've had a curious relationship with my doctors. On one hand, they haven't made much money off of me over the past few decades. But then the...Show more »

I've had a curious relationship with my doctors. On one hand, they haven't made much money off of me over the past few decades. But then they tell me to "keep up the good work", and so I do. Show less «