Yvonne Craig, TV's original Batgirl, has died. She was 78 years old.
In a poignant tribute from her family, it was confirmed that the actress - who was a key player in some of the 1960s' biggest TV shows - had been battling breast cancer for over two years and passed away in California on Monday (August 17).
Craig made her debut as Barbara Gordon in 1967 during season three of ABC's Batman, starring alongside Adam West and Burt Ward. She was cast as the network strived to attract a broader audience, including more women, to the serial.
In the 1970s, she reprised the iconic role during a public service announcement calling for equal pay for women.
Craig also starred opposite Elvis Presley in two movies - It Happened at the World's Fair and Kissin' Cousins - and made a memorable appearance in Star Trek episode 'Whom Gods Destroy' as a green-skinned Orion slave named Marta. Her other TV credits include The Man from UNCLE, Kojak and The Six Million Dollar Man.
Craig was also an accomplished ballet dancer, and was a member of the corps de ballet at the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo during the 1950s.
In later years, she became an estate agent working with both commercial and residential property, published an autobiography From Ballet to the Batcave and Beyond in the year 2000, and most recently voiced Grandma in Nick Jr's animated TV series Olivia.
She also supported a variety of education initiatives, and lobbied for free mammograms for anyone who couldn't afford them.
Craig is survived by her husband Kenneth Aldrich, her sister Meridel Carson and nephews Christopher and Todd Carson.
