Editing Lee Meriwether (section)

==Career==

===1950s===
Meriwether was a "Today Girl" on NBC's ''[[Today (American TV program)|The Today Show]]'' from 1955 to 1956. Her [[feature film|feature-film]] debut came in 1959 as Linda Davis in ''[[4D Man]]'', starring [[Robert Lansing (actor)|Robert Lansing]]. She appears in ''[[The Phil Silvers Show]]'' episode, "Cyrano de Bilko".
[[File:Lee Meriwether - Studio portrait (1955).png|thumb|upright|left|Publicity photo for ''[[Today (American TV program)|The Today Show]]'' (1955)]]

===1960s===
In 1961, Meriwether guest-starred once as Gloria in the episode "Buddy and the Amazon" on her first husband's ([[Frank Aletter]]) one-season [[CBS]] [[sitcom]], ''[[Bringing Up Buddy]]''. She also appeared in ''[[Leave It To Beaver]]'' episode "Community Chest" in season four. In 1962, she was cast as Martha Elweiss in the episode "My Child Is Yet a Stranger" on the CBS [[anthology series]], ''[[The Lloyd Bridges Show]]''. She played Nurse Dickens in a 1962 episode of the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] sitcom, ''[[I'm Dickens, He's Fenster]]''. From 1963 to 1965, she was cast in different roles in eight episodes of the [[NBC]] medical drama, ''[[Dr. Kildare (TV series)|Dr. Kildare]]''. In 1964, she played the character Jeanelle in "This Is Going to Hurt Me More Than It Hurts You" on the CBS adventure series, ''[[Route 66 (TV series)|Route 66]]''. In 1965, she appeared in an episode on ''[[The Jack Benny Program]]'' as the Secretary. In a 1965 episode of ''[[12 O'Clock High (TV series)|12 O'Clock High]]'', "Mutiny at Ten Thousand Feet", she played Lieutenant Amy Patterson, and in the episodes "The Idolator" (also 1965) and "The Outsider" (1966), she played Captain Phyllis Vincent. She also guest-starred in the season-two episode "Big Brother". She was a regular on the single season, science-fiction, television series ''[[The Time Tunnel]]'' with [[James Darren]] and [[Robert Colbert]] in 1966–1967.
[[File:Lee Meriwether The Time Tunnel.jpg|thumb|upright|Meriwether in a publicity photo for ''[[The Time Tunnel]]'' (1966)]]

[[File:Catwoman Lee Meriwether 1966.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Meriwether as Catwoman in the film ''Batman'' (1966) replacing [[Julie Newmar]], who originated the role in the television series.]]
Meriwether appeared as Dr. Egret on the NBC series, ''[[The Man from U.N.C.L.E.]]'' ("The Mad, Mad Tea Party", 1965) and in an episode of ''[[Hazel (TV series)|Hazel]]'' ("How to Lose 30 Pounds in 30 Minutes", also 1965) she played Miss Wilson, the owner of an exercise studio. Meriwether portrayed [[Catwoman]] for the ''[[Batman (1966 film)|Batman]]'' movie (1966), and also appeared in two episodes of the ''Batman'' TV series in 1967 as Lisa Carson, a love interest to Bruce Wayne in the episodes "King Tut's Coup" and "Batman's Waterloo". In the late 1960s and early 1970s, she had guest-starring roles in numerous TV series, including ''[[The Fugitive (1963 TV series)|The Fugitive]]'', ''[[Mannix]]'', ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]'' episode "[[That Which Survives]]" (1969), ''[[Perry Mason (1957 TV series)|Perry Mason]]'' episodes #245 "The Case of the Cheating Chancellor" and "The Case of the Frustrated Folksinger" (both 1965), and the ''[[F Troop]]'' episode "O'Rourke vs. O'Reilly".

In films, Meriwether joined [[John Wayne]] and [[Rock Hudson]] for ''[[The Undefeated (1969 film)|The Undefeated]]'',<ref name="King latimes">{{cite news |last=King |first=Susan |date=August 19, 2013 |title=There she is .... Lee Meriwether |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-xpm-2013-aug-19-la-et-st-lee-meriwether-classic-hollywood-20130819-story.html |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=December 23, 2015}}</ref> and Andy Griffith in ''[[Angel in My Pocket]]'' (both 1969).<ref>{{cite news |last=Michalski |first=Jennifer |date=December 13, 2013 |title=Where Are They Now: The 22 Most Influential Former Beauty Queens |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/beauty-pageant-queens-where-are-they-now-2013-12 |journal=[[Business Insider]] |access-date=December 23, 2015}}</ref> In the same year as those two films, she played IMF spy Tracey in six ''[[Mission: Impossible (1966 TV series)|Mission: Impossible]]'' episodes during season four after [[Barbara Bain]]'s departure.

===1970s===
[[File:Andy Griffith Lee Meriwether 1971.JPG|thumb|upright|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). ]]
Meriwether began her award-nominated role as secretary and daughter-in-law Betty Jones in the 1973&ndash;1980 CBS series ''[[Barnaby Jones]]'', opposite [[Buddy Ebsen]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fakuda |first1=Eiko |last2=Gritten |first2=David |date=September 22, 1980 |title=Lee Meriwether Lost 'Barnaby' but Gained a Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze |url=https://people.com/archive/lee-meriwether-lost-barnaby-but-gained-a-daring-young-man-on-the-flying-trapeze-vol-14-no-12/ |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |access-date=December 23, 2015}}</ref> During the series' eight-year run, she enjoyed an on- and off-screen chemistry with the elder Ebsen.<ref name="King latimes" /> During the series' run, she was reunited with her former classmate and best friend Bill Bixby during one episode. After her stint on ''Barnaby Jones'', Meriwether became best friends with Ebsen, keeping in touch for many years until his death on July 6, 2003. She starred in the 1978 television movies ''[[True Grit: A Further Adventure]]'' with [[Warren Oates]] as Rooster Cogburn and ''[[Cruise Into Terror]]'' with an all-star ensemble cast, appeared on ''[[Circus of the Stars]]'' four times, and was a regular panelist on the [[game show]] ''[[Match Game]]''.

===1980s===
Meriwether portrayed [[Lily Munster]] in the 1988–1991 revival of the 1960s television sitcom ''[[The Munsters]]'', titled ''[[The Munsters Today]]'', in which she starred alongside [[Jason Marsden]], [[John Schuck]], [[Howard Morton]], and [[Hilary Van Dyke]].<ref name="King latimes"/> She also made several guest appearances on ''[[The Love Boat]]'' and ''[[Fantasy Island]]''.

===1990s===
In the 1990s, she appeared as herself on an episode of ''[[Space Ghost Coast to Coast]]''. In 1993, she guest starred on ''[[Murder, She Wrote]]'', episode "Ship of Thieves". In 1996, Meriwether took over for [[Mary Fickett]] in the role of [[Ruth Martin (AMC)|Ruth Martin]] on the [[soap opera]] ''[[All My Children]]'', Fickett having played the role since its inception in 1970.<ref>{{cite news |last=Noland |first=Claire |date=September 12, 2011 |title=Mary Fickett dies at 83; longtime actress on 'All My Children' |url=https://www.latimes.com/health/la-xpm-2011-sep-12-la-me-mary-fickett-20110912-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=December 23, 2015}}</ref> After 26 years, Fickett wanted to go into semiretirement as a recurring cast member. Negotiations with the network broke down and Meriwether was cast as Ruth Martin. In 1998, ABC deemed that they were at an impasse with Meriwether's agents and Mary Fickett was brought back as a recurring cast member. Fickett retired again, this time for good in December 2000. ABC decided to bring back the character of Ruth Martin in 2002, but Fickett remained in retirement. Meriwether was hence brought back and remained a featured recurring performer on the show until it ended.

===2000s===
[[File:Lee Meriwether 2005 (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|Meriwether in 2005]]
In 2002, she appeared in the documentary film ''[[Miss America (2002 film)|Miss America]]''. In 2003, Meriwether appeared in the TV-Movie ''[[Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt]]''. She also appeared [[off-Broadway]] in the interactive comedy, ''Grandma Sylvia's Funeral''. She voiced [[EVA (Metal Gear)|Big Mama]] in the video game ''[[Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots]]'' for the [[PlayStation 3]]. She also appears in one of the game's opening videos as a talkshow host having an interview with [[David Hayter]], who voices [[Solid Snake]] in the game.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Hanson |first=Ben |date=February 28, 2014 |title=Channeling Creativity: The Story Behind Metal Gear Solid 4's Intro |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2014/02/28/the-story-behind-metal-gear-solid-4-39-s-bizarre-intro.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140304080319/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2014/02/28/the-story-behind-metal-gear-solid-4-39-s-bizarre-intro.aspx |url-status=live |archive-date=March 4, 2014 |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |access-date=December 23, 2015}}</ref> In 2006, she joined [[James Garner]], [[Abigail Breslin]], [[Bill Cobbs]], and others in ''[[The Ultimate Gift]]''. In 2008, Meriwether had a brief cameo as comic-book character Battle Diva in the episode "Harper Knows" of the [[Disney Channel]] original series ''[[Wizards of Waverly Place]]''. In 2010, she was once again reunited on screen with Hollywood veteran Bill Cobbs in ''[[No Limit Kids: Much Ado About Middle School]]''. She voices President Winters in the video game ''[[Vanquish (video game)|Vanquish]]'' by PlatinumGames.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kellams |first=J. P. |date=October 25, 2010 |title=Narrative Design in Vanquish |url=http://platinumgames.com/2010/10/25/narrative-design-in-vanquish/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140905235422/http://platinumgames.com/2010/10/25/narrative-design-in-vanquish/ |archive-date=September 5, 2014 |access-date=August 21, 2014 |website=[[PlatinumGames]]}}</ref>

===2010s===
Meriwether continued to work on stage, television, game voice-overs, and feature films. She has made guest appearances on ''[[Desperate Housewives]]'', ''[[Hawaii Five-0 (2010 TV series)|Hawaii Five-0]]'', ''[[The League]]'', and ''[[Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23]]''. Most recently, she revisited her role as Miss Hastings in the sequel/prequel to ''The Ultimate Gift'', ''The Ultimate Life ''(2013), directed by [[Michael Landon Jr.]]<ref>{{cite news |last=Scheck |first=Frank |date=September 5, 2013 |title=The Ultimate Life: Film Review |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/ultimate-life-film-review-622361 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |access-date=December 23, 2015}}</ref> She is also starring in the short film ''[[Kitty (2016 film)|Kitty]]''.

She made appearances at [[Comic Con]]s, where she spoke about her roles in ''Batman'', ''Star Trek'', and ''Time Tunnel''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Costello |first=Alex |date=May 24, 2017 |title=Eternal Con Returns July 1 And 2, This Time At The Nassau Coliseum |url=https://patch.com/new-york/gardencity/eternal-con-returns-july-1-2-time-nassau-coliseum |journal=[[Patch (website)|Patch]] |access-date=May 24, 2017}}</ref>