Catwomen: Adrienne Barbeau

Ranking my top five Catwoman performances in film and television.

Click here for the previous entry in the Catwomen rankings.

4. Adrienne Barbeau, Batman: The Animated Series (1992–1995), The New Batman Adventures (1997–98)

It's almost impossible to understand the insanity that was Batmania in the US (and elsewhere, too), circa 1989 through the early 1990s. Tim Burton's Batman (1989) sparked a Bat-renaissance, the likes of which had never been seen before, or at least not since the 1960s television series. From that moment on, Batman became the most popular DC Comics character, and maybe the most popular character in all of comics—two distinctions he still holds today.

Batmania, circa 1989, in full effect.

Still riding the wave of Bat-hysteria, Warner Bros. released Batman Returns (1992), Burton's ambitious, batshit (heh heh) crazy follow-up. It's easily one of the weirdest mainstream superhero movies ever made, and even today remains deliciously subversive. Warner capitalized on the film's success, premiering Batman: The Animated Series in September of that year, just three months after the film's debut. BTAS is a landmark in television animation. It also presented some of the most definitive versions of Bat-family characters outside of the comic books.

Discussing her work as Catwoman.

Catwoman, as magnificently played by Michelle Pfeiffer in Burton's film, was hot, so it's no surprise she starred in the premiere episode. While her hair style and color were based on Pfeiffer's, Selina's costume was mostly gray with black accents, but it retained the film's sleek, sexy fit and style. Voiced by legendary genre film star Adrienne Barbeau, Catwoman quickly became a standout character in the series.

Legendary badass Maggie, from John Carpenter's Escape from New York.

Barbeau made her name playing sharp, independent women in films like The Fog (1980), Escape from New York (1981), and Swamp Thing (1982). Her husky, sexy voice was a perfect fit for Catwoman. She's also strong, athletic, and graceful in her best work, making it easy to imagine her bringing Selina to life in live-action.

Her line delivery on BTAS and it's follow-up, The New Batman Adventures, was pitch-perfect. When she coos at Batman, "Ever the escape artist, I see," chills run down my spine.

Immediately following Pfeiffer's explosive performance was obviously an impossible act to follow, but Barbeau acquitted herself very well in the role. She imbued Selina with all of the conflicting qualities we've come to appreciate most about this complex character—she's fierce yet sensitive, confident but also insecure. Barbeau made an animated Catwoman come to life in a memorable voice-acting performance. That's not always easy, but she nailed it.

Comments

Paul SAugust 12, 2018 at 6:41 AM
Until this post I had no idea Adrienne had voiced Catwoman. Wow, the mind reels.
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