Lee Meriwether | 05/ 27/1935 | 86

Actress and former model Lee Meriwether is also famous as the winner of the 1955 Miss America pageant. She rose to fame as Buddy Ebsen’s secretary Betty Jones in the hit ’70s crime drama Barnaby Jones. The role garnered her an Emmy Award nomination and two Golden Globe award nominations. Meriwether also captivated the audience for her portrayal of Catwoman, replacing actress Julie Newmar in the movie version of Batman in 1966. She also won a recurring role as Ruth Martin on the soap opera All My Children until the show’s end in September 2011.

Meriwether was a “Today Girl” on The Today Show during the mid-’50s. She had her feature film debut in 1959 in 4D Man, starring Robert Lansing. Until today, the 86-year-old actress continues to make investments in television, on stage, feature films, and game voice-overs. She has also made guest appearances on Hawaii Five-0 and Desperate Housewives.

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