Yvonne Joyce Craig

Yvonne Joyce Craig (May 16 1936 - - August 17, 2015), was an American actress, ballet dancer and choreographer. Her most famous work is for her roles in Batman's 1960s TV series Batman as well as Marta she was an Orion slave girl with green skin in the Star Trek 1969 episode "Whom Gods Destruction". The Huffington Post called her "a pioneer in female superheroes" for the television. Yvonne Craig was born and raised in Taylorville, Illinois. In 1951 , her family moved from Illinois to Dallas. In Dallas, she attended W. H. Adamson High School in Dallas as well as Sunset High School. However she did not finish her education because she had only "one PE credit". After being spotted by Alexandra Danilova, a ballerina and instructor, Craig joined the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo as its youngest corps de ballet participant. While she was performing as Batgirl the training proved to be very helpful. She left the ballet troupe in 1957 "over an argument over casting decisions" and relocated to Los Angeles in the hopes of pursuing her dance career, but found herself acting in film roles. She first appeared in a TV episode of Perry Mason ("The Case of the Lazy Lover") with Neil Hamilton. Hamilton later became Batgirl's Police Commissioner James Gordon. After that, she appeared in three films: The Young Land, The Gene Krupa Story, and Gidget (all 1959)--and she also appeared in the TV series Mr. Lucky as Beverly Mills in the episode "Little Miss Wow" (also 1959). Craig appeared in films with Bing Crosby (1960), and Seven Women from Hell (1961) in which she was portrayed by Cesar Romero. In 1962, she was guest on Western Laramie's show "The Long Road Back". Craig also starred with Elvis Presley's roles in It Was at the World's Fair (1963), and Kissin Cousins (64). In 1966, she was a part-time actress in Mars Needs Women. In 1967, she was an Russian ballet dancer in In Like Flint.