The First Female Superhero

Before becoming known as Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl, Yvonne Craig dedicated much of her life to pursuing ballet. She trained with ballerina and instructor Alexandra Danilova and became the youngest member of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Despite her passion for ballet, Craig was drawn to acting after moving to Los Angeles.

She landed notable roles in various TV shows. Still, it was her portrayal of Batgirl that made her a pioneer of female superheroes on television, as hailed by The Huffington Post. Interestingly, Craig wasn’t initially familiar with the Batman universe and had to make an effort to study and understand it when offered the part.