Batman: All 11 Catwoman actresses ranked from worst to best

5. Lee Meriwether

Appeared in: Batman: The Movie (1966)

When the Batman TV series transitioned to the big screen for 1966’s Batman: The Movie, Julie Newmar was unavailable and thus, couldn’t reprise her role as Catwoman. However, as the feline fatale was one of the Caped Crusader’s most iconic villains, the-powers-that-be had to find someone to replace her. Lee Meriwether stepped up and, in spite of having big heels to fill, she absolutely nailed it.

Meriwether’s big-screen interpretation bore quite a few similarities to Newmar’s, which was understandable because she wasn’t just playing Catwoman, she was playing Newmar’s Catwoman. That said, she didn’t let that stop her from making the role her own.

There was a toughness about the character that was completely unique to her interpretation, as Meriwether portrayed her as an effective part of the villainous foursome (which consisted of her, The Penguin, The Joker and The Riddler). Though she occasionally got lost in the group fights (the film didn’t have her get involved), she had some exceptional dramatic moments throughout the movie and, from her seduction of Bruce Wayne as the dazzling Miss Kitka to overseeing the group’s villainous schemes, she helped Catwoman stand out as the most interesting villain of them all.

The actress may have figuratively “showed up late to the party” by joining what was already a well-oiled machine at this stage, but she immediately fit right in and showed us a Catwoman that was both loyal to Newmar’s and completely unique at the same time.