Yvonne Craig, the actress who portrayed Batgirl opposite Adam West in the 1960s TV series 'Batman', has died aged 78, her family has confirmed. Craig was best known for her role as Barbara Gordon’s alter-ego which she played in ‘Batman’s’ final season, but she also made appearances in classic 60's shows such as ‘Star Trek: The Original Series’ and ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’

Yvonne Craig BatgirlYvonne Craig as Batgirl

A statement on Craig’s official website says that the actress passed away at her home in Pacific Palisades, surrounded by her immediate family on August 17th. Ms Craig is survived by her husband, Kenneth Aldrich, her sister Meridel Carson and nephews Christopher and Todd Carson.

Speaking to CNN her family said that the actress had been battling breast cancer for two years and the cancer metastasised to her liver. "She had been in chemo almost continuously for the past two plus years since being diagnosed and that had weakened her immune system as well as her body," her family said.

"This didn't dampen her sense of humour or her spirit, she intended to fight and win this battle. In the end, her mind still wanted to fight but her body had given up.” Craig originally trained as a dancer before moving into acting in the late 1950s. Her first big screen roles came in the 1959 films, The Young Land, The Gene Krupa Story, and Gidget.

In 1963 she starred opposite Elvis Presley in the musical It Happened at the World's Fair and teamed with him again a year later for Kissin' Cousins. Throughout the 1960s Craig had many memorable guest appearances on some of the decades biggest shows including ‘Star Trek: The Original Series’, where she played Marta, a green-skinned Orion slave gir and ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ where she helped solve the mystery of a brain-endangering poison.

In 1967 she joined the cast of ABC series ‘Batman’, becoming the first actress to portray Barbara Gordon and her alter-ego ‘Batgirl’. Speaking about the role in an interview with CNN earlier this year Craig said, "I hear from women that I was their role model. When I was a little girl, I realised that girls could kick butt just like guys,' [they'd say].”

A private memorial service is set to be held in Craig’s honour and her family are asking for donations be made to the cancer research and treatment centre the Angeles Clinic Foundation in lieu of flowers.