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Actress Yvonne Craig, best known for her role as Batgirl, dies at 78

LOS ANGELES - Actress Yvonne Craig, best known for her role as Batgirl on the 1960s TV series "Batman," has passed away from cancer at the age of 78.

An obituary posted to Craig's website says she passed away at her home in Los Angeles on Monday from complications brought about from breast cancer that metastasized to her liver.

According to her obituary, Craig spent many years in the film and television industry and was in two movies with Elvis Presley. The highlight of her career, however, came in 1966 when she played the original role of Batgirl. She is also known for playing the character "Marta" in the third season of Star Trek.

Craig starred in a number of television series throughout her life and worked opposite Bing Crosby, George Hamilton, Dennis Hopper and James Coburn, among others, her obituary says.

Later in life, Craig worked as a real estate broker before going into the prepaid phone card business and then writing a book in 2000 titled, "From Ballet to the Batcave and Beyond."

More recently, Craig did voice work on a cartoon series for Nickelodeon and was the executive producer on the documentary film "BIRTH."

In a statement on Craig's website, her family touted her successes, saying, "Yvonne excelled in ballet, a film career, a business life, as well as in philanthropic and charity work over the years. She had been able to do this with joy and much laughter and she wouldn't have changed a thing. Well, maybe one thing and that would have been not to get cancer."

Craig is survived by her husband, sister and nephews.

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