American ballet dancer and actress. Born on May 16, 1937, in Taylorville, Illinois, Yvonne Craig started her career as a dancer and was a member of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in the 1950s when her family moved to the Oak Cliffneighborhood in Dallas, Texas.
YVonne Craig’s Acting Career
Yvonne began her acting career in movies like The Young Land, The Gene Krupa Story, and Gidget before making guest appearances in shows like Mr. Lucky, and High Time. Some of her earliest television roles was in an episode of the TV series Perry Mason The Case of the Lazy Lover produced in 1958. She played alongside Neil Hamilton, who played her stepfather.
Yvonne Craig rose to prominence in the 1960s when she appeared with Cesar Romero in Seven Women from Hell while she also played Batgirl and a daughter to Commissioner Gordon in the television series Batman produced in 1966. She was one of the finest characters from the television series and that helped her to gain fame and wealth. As Batgirl she wore a purple and yellow outfit and rode a “purple motorcycle with white lace trim”
Craig’s role as Batgirls was, however, shortlived as “Batman” was cancelled in 1968. Craig moved into television and appeared in several series like The Barbara Stanwyck Show, Death Valley Days, My Three Sons, among others. She appeared five times on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, portraying five separate girlfriends for the titular character between 1959 and 1962.
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She also appeared alongside Elvis Presley in movies like It Happened at the World’s Fair and Kissin’ Cousins while her acting portfolio further improved with sci-film Mars Needs Women. Her memorable role came on Star Trek as Marta. From 2009 to 2011, she voiced “Grandma” on an animated children’s show titled Olivia.
Yvonne Craig Personal Life
Despite her amazing roles in TV series and as a dancer, Craig never finished school. She attended Sunset High School in Dallas, but technically didn’t graduate because she lacked one P.E. credit. When asked why she said: “It was my fault, … I wouldn’t dress, and I wouldn’t play. I always had an excuse.”
When Craig was done with acting, she ventured into private business. She was a co-producer of industrial shows for a short while before she turned to her new career as a real estate broker.
Yvonne Craig published an autobiography called From Ballet to the Batcave and Beyond in 2000. She appeared in the documentary film Ballets Russes
This amazing personality died on August 17, 2015, leaving behind a net worth of $5 million. She died at age 78 at her home in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California. She was reported to have had metastatic breast cancer that had spread to her liver.
“She had been in chemo almost continuously for the past two plus years since being diagnosed and that had weakened her immune system as well as her body,” her family said in a statement.
“This didn’t dampen her sense of humor or her spirit, she intended to fight and win this battle. In the end, her mind still wanted to fight but her body had given up.”
Before her death, Craig ranked #7 on Wizard Magazine’s Sexiest Women of TV list in 2008. She was also a philanthropist and advocate for workers unions, free mammograms, and equal pay for women.
Yvonne was also married, she got married to Jimmy Boyd, a musician and actor, Jimmy Boyd who is best known for his rendition of the Christmas hit I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus. For some reasons best known to her, Craig dissolved her marriage with Boyd in 1962 and six years later (in 1988), she married Kenneth Aldrich, who survives her.
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Before her marriage to Aldrich, Craige got hooked up with a few others like Robert Vaughn (1965), Bill Bixby (1965 – 1967), Vince Edwards (1964 – 1965), Mort Sahl (1962 – 1967), Michael Callan (1962 – 1965) and Bing Crosby(1960).
Yvonne and Aldrich were married for 27-years. He is a former attorney and real estate entrepreneur. Aldrich has been an investor in early-stage companies, primarily in life sciences, since the early ’90s.
Mr Aldrich holds an A.B. in history and literature from Harvard University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. He is also the director of the Green Dot Corporation.
Quick Facts about Yvonne Craig and Measurement
Full Name: Yvonne Joyce Craig
Profession: Dancer, Actress
Height: 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
Ethnicity: American
Nationality: American
Date of Birth: May 16, 1937
Place of Birth: Taylorville, Illinois, US
Marital status: Jimmy Boyd (divorced) Kenneth Aldrich (married)
Astrological sign: Leo
Yvonne Craig Net Worth: $5 million
