Biography
Before Madonna, Halle Berry or Angelina Jolie, there was Eartha Kitt. The self-proclaimed "original Material Girl" purred her way to Hollywood stardom as fierce feline villain Catwoman on the campy television series, "Batman" (ABC, 1966-68). She was also a star of the Broadway stage, cabaret performer, and a recording artist. Proving she was more than just a sex kitten, Kitt raised eyebrows and put her career on the line by speaking out about …
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Career Milestones
| Began annual concert appearances in New York City's Cafe Carlyle in the 1990s | ||
| Began career in Europe as dancer-singer-actress before returning to NYC and Hollywood in the 1950s | ||
| Grew up in rural South | ||
| Joined the Katherine Dunham Dance Troupe | ||
| Moved to Spanish Harlem to live with an aunt in the 1940s | ||
1945 | Made Broadway debut in "Blue Holiday" | |
1946 | Toured Europe in "Bal Negre" with the Katherine Dunham Troupe | |
1951 | Appeared as Helen of Troy opposite Orson Welles in "Orson Welles' Faust" | |
1952 | Gained notice for her work in the Broadway revue, "New Faces of 1952" | |
1954 | Made film debut performing songs in the plotless musical comedy revue, "New Faces of 1952" | |
1955 | Earliest TV appearances include a guest spot on the NBC variety special, "Show Biz" | |
1957 | Film acting debut, "Mark of the Hawk"; also sang the song, "This Man Is Mine" | |
1958 | First top-billed acting role in a feature, "Anna Lucasta" | |
1965 | Returned to features to play a role in "Synanon" | |
1968 | Played role of Catwoman in the ABC series "Batman" | |
1969 | Starred in the syndicated one-woman concert, "The Eartha Kitt Show" | |
1972 | TV-movie debut, "Lieutenant Schuster's Wife" | |
1975 | Returned again to features to play a role in "Friday Foster" | |
1978 | First role in a miniseries, "To Kill a Cop" (NBC) | |
1978 | Returned to Broadway after two decades in "Timbuktu," a revised, all-black version of the musical, "Kismet" | |
1981 | Was the subject of the documentary film, "All by Myself" | |
1985 | Toured in the musical, "Blues in the Night," in the role of "Woman of the World" | |
1986 | Began acting more regularly in features with her role in "The Serpent Warriors" | |
1988 | Appeared on the London stage as Carlotta Campion in the Stephen Sondheim-James Goldman musical "Follies" | |
1992 | Had a supporting role as Lady Eloise in the hit film "Boomerang" starring Eddie Murphy | |
1993 | Acted in the USA Network's action fantasy series, "Matrix" | |
1994 | Released first album in several decades, Back in Business | |
1995 | Appeared in the Isaac Mizrahi documentary "Unzipped" | |
2000 | Provided the voice for the villainess Yzma in the Disney animated comedy "The Emperor's New Groove" | |
2000 | Returned to Broadway as co-star of the musical "The Wild Party"; received Tony nomination | |
2001 | Toured in a stage production of "Cinderella" | |
2003 | Replaced Chita Rivera as Liliane in "Nine" at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre | |
2003 | Voiced Queen Vexus on the animated TV series "My Life as a Teenage Robot" (Nicktoons Network) | |
2006 | Co-starred in the Off-Broadway musical "Mimi le Duck" | |
2007 | Appeared in the independent film "And Then Came Love" opposite Vanessa L. Williams | |
Awards
1966 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance By an Actress In a in I Spy |