- Since Catwoman’s debut in 1940, the antiheroine has become one of DC’s most well-known characters, as well as Batman’s on-again, off-again rival and love interest.
- Actresses like Michelle Pfeiffer, Halle Berry, and Anne Hathaway have taken on the iconic role of Selina Kyle/Catwoman in the Batman franchise.
- “Big Little Lies” star Zoë Kravitz will play her in the 2021 film “The Batman,” starring alongside Robert Pattinson.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Since Catwoman was introduced by DC Comics in 1940, the antiheroine (also known as Selina Kyle) has become one of the Dark Knight franchise’s most well-known characters. She often changes allegiances, but in most iterations, she serves as an on-again, off-again rival and love interest for Bruce Wayne/Batman.
From Julia Newmar in the 1966 “Batman” TV show to Zoë Kravitz in the upcoming movie “The Batman,” 30 actresses have played Selina Kyle in movies, TV shows, and video games. Some of these performances have drawn widespread praise from critics, while others have been less well-received.
Here are all the actresses who have brought Catwoman to life onscreen.
Julie Newmar played the first onscreen Catwoman in 1966 on the television series “Batman.”
Julia Newmar became the first onscreen Catwoman on the “Batman” television series, appearing on the show from 1966 to 1967.
The actress returned to voice the character in the 2016 film "Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders," and played Batman's mother, Martha Wayne, on the TV series "Batman: The Brave and the Bold."
Lee Meriwether portrayed the character in 1966's "Batman: The Movie."
Lee Meriwether was the first actress to play Catwoman in a movie.
This version of Catwoman ran an underground criminal organization called the United Underworld, and pretended to be a woman named Kitka who Batman fell in love with.
Eartha Kitt was the first woman of color to portray Selina Kyle.
Singer and actress Eartha Kitt took over the role of Catwoman from Julia Newmar when she departed "Batman" after two seasons, and played her from 1967 to 1968. Kitt was the first actress of color and the first black woman to play the part.
"[Kitt's role] was a really big deal," the actress's daughter, Kitt Shapiro, told Closer Weekly. "This was 1967, and there were no women of color at that time wearing skintight bodysuits, playing opposite a white male with sexual tension between them! She knew the importance of the role and she was proud of it. She really is a part of history."
Jane Webb was the first actress to voice Catwoman on an animated series.
Jane Webb was the first voice actress to take on the role, starring on "The Batman/Superman Hour" from 1968 to 1969.
She also voiced the characters Barbara Gordon and Batgirl in the series.
Melendy Britt was Catwoman on the animated series "The New Adventures of Batman."
Melendy Britt played Catwoman on 1977's "The New Adventures of Batman," but she's no stranger to voicing iconic characters.
The actress later played She-Ra on the popular Mattel series "She-Ra: Princess of Power."
Michelle Pfeiffer played Catwoman in "Batman Returns."
In Tim Burton's 1992 movie "Batman Returns," Michelle Pfeiffer portrayed the character as a harried secretary-turned-nihilistic anti-heroine.
The actress joined the production at the last minute since Annette Bening had to drop out of the project after becoming pregnant. She starred alongside Michael Keaton and Danny DeVito.
"I guess [Catwoman] just broke all the stereotypes of what it meant to be a woman," Pfeiffer said in the book "Batman: The Definitive History of the Dark Knight in Comics, Film, and Beyond." "I found that shocking and forbidden."
Adrienne Barbeau voiced her on multiple DC animated series.
Adrienne Barbeau embodied the character on 1997's "Batman: The Animated Series." Her Catwoman was an heiress and radical animal rights activist who shared a supernatural connection with felines.
The actress went on to play the character again on shows like "The New Batman Adventures" and "Gotham Girls."
She also voiced a singer on a 2000 episode of the show "Batman Beyond."
Halle Berry took on the titular role of 2004's "Catwoman."
Oscar-winner Halle Berry starred in the maligned 2004 movie "Catwoman," which currently holds only a 9% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Berry's Catwoman begins the story as a graphic designer named Patience Philips, who is killed after discovering a dangerous product within the cosmetics corporation at which she works. After being discovered and killed by the company's conspirators, she is resurrected as the human embodiment of an ancient cat goddess.
Jennifer Hale voices the character in the 2004 "Catwoman" video game.
The game is a tie-in to the 2004 "Catwoman" film, featuring an almost-identical plot and focus on the Patience Philips version of the character.
The same year that "Catwoman" was released, Gina Gershon began playing the character on the animated show "The Batman."
Gina Gershon voiced the character on five episodes of the show "The Batman," between 2004 and 2007. Her Catwoman is a skilled con artist.
The actress recently appeared as Jughead's (Cole Sprouse) mother Gladys on The CW's "Riverdale."
Nika Futterman voiced the character on the 2008 Cartoon Network show "Batman: The Brave and the Bold."
The purple and green suit that Catwoman wears on "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" is reminiscent of the costume that the character wore in several 1950s comics.
Futterman also voiced the character in 2010's "Batman: The Brave and the Bold - The Video Game" and 2018's "Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold."
Vanessa Marshall voiced Catwoman in the 2008 game "Lego Batman: The Video Game."
In "Lego Batman: The Video Game," Catwoman helps the villain The Penguin attempt to take over Gotham City using remote-controlled penguin robots.
Although the game has no dialogue, Marshall lends her voice to purr and giggle as Catwoman.
Janyse Jaud was Catwoman on the motion comics series "Batman: Black and White."
Catwoman appeared on a 2009 episode of the motion comic series, "Batman: Black and White." During the episode, Batman catches her stealing diamonds from a Nazi spy in World War II-era Gotham.
Patty Mattson voiced her in the 2009 game "Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe."
In the crossover fighting game, Mortal Kombat and DC superhero characters battle one another in both single and multi-player settings.
The "Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe" version of Catwoman gains the ability to transform into a black panther at will.
Grey DeLisle has voiced Catwoman in several DC video games.
DeLisle has played the character in nine different games, including "Batman: Arkham City," "Injustice: Gods Among Us," and "Lego DC Super-Villains."
The actress has also played Harley Quinn and Wonder Woman in other DC media over the years.
Eliza Dushku voiced Catwoman in the 2011 movie "Batman: Year One," and the 2011 short film "DC Showcase: Catwoman."
Dushku's Catwoman appears in the animated movie "Batman: Year One" which tells the hero's origin story, and gets the spotlight herself in the short film "DC: Showcase Catwoman."
"I wanted to purr, and they let me purr - so that was really like getting a bit of extra credit," the actress told NBC Connecticut of her portrayal of Catwoman. "I wanted to get in there and really emphasize her relationship with her cats, as I think it's very feral and very significant. And everyone was really cool about letting me play around with my ferocity."
Dushku is best known for playing Faith on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel," as well as Missy Pantone in "Bring It On."
Stephanie Sheh was Catwoman in 2012's "The Batman of Shanghai."
On the three-part series of animated shorts, Catwoman, Batman, and the villainous Bane are transported back in time to 1930s Shanghai. There, they engage in kung fu battles.
More recently, Sheh has voiced the character of Katana on "DC Super Hero Girls."
Kelley Huston voiced the character in "DC Universe Online."
Huston's version of the character started off as an amoral burglar and eventually became somewhat reformed, devoting much of her time to protecting the less fortunate in Gotham.
Anne Hathaway played Catwoman in Christopher Nolan's 2012 blockbuster "The Dark Knight Rises."
Christopher Nolan added a handful of well-known Batman characters to his 2012 movie "The Dark Knight Rises," from Bane (Tom Hardy) to Anne Hathaway's Selina Kyle (who is never explicitly referred to as Catwoman).
This iteration of Selina is a skilled thief who hopes to pull of a heist great enough to give her the chance at a normal, crime-free life.
While "The Dark Knight Rises" was largely considered the weakest of Nolan's three Batman movies, Hathaway received strong praise - Vanity Fair even called her "the best Catwoman ever" in the headline of their review.
Tress MacNeille voiced an older Selina Kyle in the 2012 animated movie "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns."
The movie primarily follows Batman, who comes out of retirement to fight old enemies.
MacNeille voices an older version of Selina, who has lost the confidence typical of Catwoman and never transforms into her alter-ego. She appears in a scene opposite the Joker, who poisons her with a kiss.
Camren Bicondova portrayed a younger version of Selina Kyle on the TV show "Gotham."
Camren Bicondova played young Selina Kyle on "Gotham," Fox's Batman prequel series.
Selina begins the show as a homeless street kid, and slowly bonds with the recently orphaned Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz).
Because the show ran for five years, Bincodva also holds the record for the longest time that an actress has ever played the character onscreen.
Katherine Von Till voiced Catwoman in the 2014 game "Lego Batman 2: DC Superheroes."
In the game, Batman and Robin team up with other DC heroes to stop Lex Luthor and The Joker from destroying Gotham. The Joker soon frees Catwoman and other villains from the prison where they were being held.
Her character has a whip and is able to do acrobatics.
Catwoman appears as a playable character in 2014's "Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham," voiced by Laura Bailey.
In "Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham," Batman goes to space with a team of DC superheroes (and antiheroes) in order to stop the villain Brainiac from shrinking planets. Bailey also plays Wonder Woman in the game.
The actress reprised the role of Catwoman in the 2016 point-and-click adventure game "Batman: The Telltale Series."
Cristina Pucelli voiced Catwoman on the show "DC Super Hero Girls" from 2015 to 2018.
The animated TV series followed teenaged versions of popular DC female characters like Catwoman, Harley Quinn, Batgirl, and Supergirl, as they all attended high school together.
Jennifer Carpenter played a 19th-century version of Kyle on the animated series "Batman: Gotham by Gaslight."
Former "Dexter '' star Jennifer Carpenter played Selina Kyle on the 2018 animated series"Batman: Gotham by Gaslight."
The show reimagines the Dark Knight's story as a 19th-century steampunk drama where Batman hunts infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper. This version of Selina is an actress who protects prostitutes on London's streets and eventually crosses paths with Bruce Wayne.
Catwoman appears in the 2018 anime film "Batman Ninja," and is voiced by Japanese actress Ai Kakuma.
In the movie, Batman and a number of his allies and enemies (including Kukama's Catwoman) are unexpectedly transported from modern-day Gotham to feudal Japan.
Cree Summer played the character in the children's animated series "DC Super Hero Girls."
Actress Cree Summer played Catwoman on the children's animated series "DC Super Hero Girls," a new iteration of the series of the same name that aired from 2015 to 2018.
Like its predecessor, the show follows female DC characters as teenagers who attend high school together.
"Once Upon a Time" star Jennifer Morrison voiced Catwoman in the 2019 animated film "Batman: Hush."
The movie follows Batman as he faces off against a new villain called Hush, who knows all of his secrets.
In "Batman: Hush," Morrison's Selina Kyle/Catwoman is a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne, and they begin a short-lived romance.
Sanaa Lathan voices Catwoman on the adult animated series "Harley Quinn."
Actress Sanaa Lathan recently joined the cast of "Harley Quinn," which follows its titular villain after she breaks up with The Joker and teams up with her best friend, Poison Ivy (Lake Bell), to become her own "queenpin" of crime.
Lathan first appears as Catwoman on season two, episode three ("Trapped"), which follows Harley, Ivy, and Catwoman as they attempt to steal an artifact from a boobytrapped museum.
Zoë Kravitz is the newest Catwoman.
In October, Kravitz was officially cast as Catwoman in director Matt Reeves' 2021 film "The Batman," which also stars Robert Pattinson as the caped crusader.
She previously played the character in 2017's "The Lego Batman Movie."
"I think Catwoman, Selina Kyle represents really strong femininity, and I'm excited to dive into that," the actress said at the Television Critics Association's 2020 winter press tour. " I think Batman represents a very kind of masculine power, and Catwoman represents very feminine power - slightly more complicated, and softer, too. I like the idea that you can be soft, you can be gentle and still be very powerful and still be very dangerous."