Yvonne Joyce Craig

Yvonne Joyce Craig (May 16 1936 - - August 17, 2015), was an American dancer, dancer, and choreographer. She is best known for her roles in Batman's 1960s TV series Batman as well as Marta she was an Orion slave girl sporting green skin, from Star Trek's 1969 episode "Whom Gods Destruction". The Huffington Post called her "a pioneer in female superheroes in television." Yvonne Craig was born in Taylorville, Illinois, and was raised in Columbus, Ohio. In 1951, her family moved to the Oak Cliff neighborhood in Dallas, Texas, where she attended W. H. Adamson High School as well as Sunset High School, from which she was not able to complete her studies due to the absence of "a single PE credit". Craig was identified by Alexandra Danilova (a ballerina and teacher) and was accepted into the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo as its youngest member of the corps de ballet. This was a great training for her when she was performing stunts acting as Batgirl. In 1957, she left the ballet company because of disagreements concerning casting changes. She later moved to Los Angeles with the hope of pursuing her dance career. However, she discovered herself in film roles. One of her first television roles was on the TV series Perry Mason ("The Case of the Lazy Lover") in the year 1958 with Neil Hamilton. Hamilton later played the role of Batgirl's stepfather Commissioner James Gordon. She was in three movies shortly after, 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" Also in 1959. Craig made an appearance with Bing Crosby in High Time (1960) as well as in Seven Women from Hell (1961) as a guest with Cesar Romero. In 1962, she appeared as an actor on Western Laramie's show "The Long Road Back". Craig also starred with Elvis Presley's characters in It Was at the World's Fair (1963), and Kissin' Cousins (64). In the year 1966, she appeared in Mars Needs Women. In 1967, she appeared as an Russian ballet dancer in In Like Flint.