Lee Meriwether facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lee Meriwether
Meriwether in 2008
Born	Lee Ann Meriwether (1935-05-27) May 27, 1935 (age 90) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma mater	City College of San Francisco
Occupation	Actress model
Years active	1954–2020
Known for	Barnaby Jones Batman The Time Tunnel
Title	Miss San Francisco 1954 Miss California 1954 Miss America 1955
Predecessor	Evelyn Margaret Ay
Successor	Sharon Ritchie
Spouse(s)	Frank Aletter ​ ​ (m. 1958; div. 1974)​ Marshall Borden ​ (m. 1986)​
Children	2

Lee Ann Meriwether (born May 27, 1935) is an American actress and former model. She won the Miss America pageant in 1955. Lee Meriwether has appeared in many movies and TV shows. She is well-known for her role as Betty Jones in the 1970s crime drama Barnaby Jones. She also played Catwoman in the 1966 Batman movie and starred in the science fiction series The Time Tunnel. Later, she had a regular role as Ruth Martin on the TV show All My Children until it ended in 2011.

Early Life and Pageant Wins

Lee Meriwether was born in Los Angeles, California. Her parents were Claudius Gregg Meriwether and Ethel Eve Mulligan. She has one brother, Don Brett Meriwether. Her family moved to San Francisco, where she grew up. She went to George Washington High School and later to City College of San Francisco.

After winning the Miss San Francisco title, Meriwether became Miss California in 1954. Then, in 1955, she was crowned Miss America. She performed a speech from a play to win the title. After her reign as Miss America, she joined The Today Show as a "Today Girl."

Lee Meriwether's Acting Career

Lee Meriwether has had a long and successful career in acting, appearing in many different types of shows and movies.

Starting Out in the 1950s

Meriwether was a "Today Girl" on NBC's The Today Show from 1955 to 1956. Her first movie role was in 1959 as Linda Davis in 4D Man. She also appeared in an episode of The Phil Silvers Show.

TV and Movie Roles in the 1960s

Meriwether in a publicity photo for The Time Tunnel (1966)

In the 1960s, Lee Meriwether appeared in many popular TV shows. She guest-starred in Bringing Up Buddy, Leave It to Beaver, and Dr. Kildare. She also appeared in Route 66 and The Jack Benny Program. From 1966 to 1967, she was a regular on the science fiction TV series The Time Tunnel.

Meriwether as Catwoman in the film Batman (1966)

One of her most famous roles was playing Catwoman in the 1966 Batman movie. She also appeared in two episodes of the Batman TV series in 1967. Meriwether had guest roles in other well-known shows like The Fugitive, Mannix, and Star Trek. In movies, she acted alongside John Wayne in The Undefeated and with Andy Griffith in Angel in My Pocket (both 1969). She also played a spy named Tracey in six episodes of Mission: Impossible.

Success in the 1970s

Meriwether co-starred in two productions with Andy Griffith: the movie Angel in My Pocket (1968) and the short-lived sitcom The New Andy Griffith Show (1971).

In 1973, Meriwether started her award-nominated role as Betty Jones in the CBS series Barnaby Jones. She played the secretary and daughter-in-law of the main character, played by Buddy Ebsen. This role earned her two Golden Globe Award nominations and an Emmy Award nomination. She became good friends with Buddy Ebsen. She also appeared in TV movies like True Grit: A Further Adventure and Cruise Into Terror. She was a regular guest on the game show Match Game.

Roles in the 1980s and 1990s

From 1988 to 1991, Meriwether played Lily Munster in The Munsters Today, a new version of the classic 1960s TV show. She also made several guest appearances on popular shows like The Love Boat and Fantasy Island.

In the 1990s, she appeared on Murder, She Wrote. In 1996, Meriwether took over the role of Ruth Martin on the soap opera All My Children. She played this character for many years, becoming a familiar face to fans of the show until it ended in 2011.

Work in the 2000s and 2010s

Meriwether in 2005

In 2003, Meriwether appeared in the TV movie Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt. She also did voice acting for video games, including playing Big Mama in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008) and President Winters in Vanquish (2010). She acted in movies like The Ultimate Gift (2006) and No Limit Kids: Much Ado About Middle School (2010).

In the 2010s, Meriwether continued to work in theater, TV, and movies. She made guest appearances on shows like Desperate Housewives, Hawaii Five-0, and The League. She also reprised her role as Miss Hastings in The Ultimate Life (2013). She often attends Comic Con events to talk about her roles in Batman, Star Trek, and Time Tunnel.

Personal Life

On April 20, 1958, Lee Meriwether married Frank Aletter. They had two daughters, Kyle Aletter Oldham and Lesley A. Aletter. They divorced in 1974. On September 21, 1986, Meriwether married Marshall Borden.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Awards

• 1975 Golden Globe Award nomination, Best TV Actress (Drama)
• 1976 Golden Globe Award nomination, Best TV Actress (Drama)
• 1977 Emmy Award nomination, Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

See also

In Spanish: Lee Meriwether para niños