Yvonne Joyce Craig

Yvonne Joyce Craig (May 16 1937 - August 17, 2015) was an American actress and ballet dancer famous for her part in the role of Batgirl in the 1960s' television series Batman as well as her role as the green-skinned Orion slave girl Marta in the Star Trek episode "Whom Gods Destroy" (1969). The Huffington Post referred to her as "a pioneer in female superheroes" on television. Yvonne Craig was born in Taylorville, Illinois, and was raised in Columbus, Ohio. Her family relocated to Dallas in 1951. She attended W. H. Adamson High School, Sunset High School as well as W. H. Adamson High School. Unfortunately, Craig didn't graduate since she was not awarded "one credits for PE". After being discovered by Alexandra Danilova, a ballerina as well as an instructor, Craig joined the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo as its youngest corps de ballet member. It was an excellent training which helped her to perform stunts as Batgirl. She quit the ballet company in 1957 "over an argument over casting decisions" and relocated to Los Angeles in the hopes of pursuing her dance career, but she was being cast in films. Her first TV roles was on the TV series Perry Mason ("The Case of the Lazy Lover") in 1958 alongside Neil Hamilton. Hamilton later was the Batgirl's stepfather, police Commissioner James Gordon. She appeared in three films following the show, The Young Land, The Gene Krupa Story and Gidget (all 1959). She also guest-starred in the TV series Mr. Lucky, as Beverly Mills, in the episode "Little Miss Wow" which was also a 1959. Craig was seen alongside Bing Crosby and Seven Women from Hell (1960), where she was in a duet with Cesar Romero. In 1962, she appeared as a guest star in the Western Laramie episode "The Long Road Back". Craig also starred with Elvis Presley in the roles of Happened At the World's Fair (1963), and Kissin Cousins (64). She also starred as an Russian dancer with James Coburn in Mars Needs Women (1966).