<P> Eartha Kitt ( January 17 , 1927 -- December 25 , 2008 ) was an American singer , actress , dancer , activist and comedian , known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of `` C'est si bon '' and the enduring Christmas novelty smash `` Santa Baby '' , which were both US Top 10 hits . Orson Welles once called her the `` most exciting woman in the world '' . Kitt began her career in 1942 and appeared in the 1945 original Broadway theatre production of the musical Carib Song . In the early 1950s , she had six US Top 30 hits , including `` Uska Dara '' and `` I Want to be Evil '' . Her other notable recordings include the UK Top 10 hit `` Under the Bridges of Paris '' ( 1954 ) , `` Just an Old Fashioned Girl '' ( 1956 ) and `` Where Is My Man '' ( 1983 ) . She starred in 1967 as Catwoman , in the third and final season of the television series Batman . In 1968 , her career in America suffered after she made anti-war statements at a White House luncheon . Ten years later , she made a successful return to Broadway in the 1978 original production of the musical Timbuktu ! , for which she received the first of her two Tony Award nominations . Her second was for the 2000 original production of the musical The Wild Party . Kitt wrote three autobiographies -- Thursday 's Child ( 1956 ) , Alone with Me ( 1976 ) and I 'm Still Here : Confessions of a Sex Kitten ( 1989 ) . She also played Lady Eloise in the 1992 film Boomerang , starring Eddie Murphy . Kitt found a new generation of fans through her roles in the Disney films The Emperor 's New Groove ( 2000 ) , in which she voiced the villainous Yzma , and Holes ( 2003 ) . She reprised the role as Yzma in the direct - to - video sequel Kronk 's New Groove ( 2005 ) , as well as the animated series The Emperor 's New School ( 2006 -- 2008 ) . Her work on the latter earned her two Daytime Emmy Awards . She posthumously won a third Emmy in 2010 for her guest performance on Wonder Pets . </P>
<P> Eartha Kitt ( January 17 , 1927 -- December 25 , 2008 ) was an American singer , actress , dancer , activist and comedian , known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of `` C'est si bon '' and the enduring Christmas novelty smash `` Santa Baby '' , which were both US Top 10 hits . Orson Welles once called her the `` most exciting woman in the world '' . Kitt began her career in 1942 and appeared in the 1945 original Broadway theatre production of the musical Carib Song . In the early 1950s , she had six US Top 30 hits , including `` Uska Dara '' and `` I Want to be Evil '' . Her other notable recordings include the UK Top 10 hit `` Under the Bridges of Paris '' ( 1954 ) , `` Just an Old Fashioned Girl '' ( 1956 ) and `` Where Is My Man '' ( 1983 ) . She starred in 1967 as Catwoman , in the third and final season of the television series Batman . In 1968 , her career in America suffered after she made anti-war statements at a White House luncheon . Ten years later , she made a successful return to Broadway in the 1978 original production of the musical Timbuktu ! , for which she received the first of her two Tony Award nominations . Her second was for the 2000 original production of the musical The Wild Party . Kitt wrote three autobiographies -- Thursday 's Child ( 1956 ) , Alone with Me ( 1976 ) and I 'm Still Here : Confessions of a Sex Kitten ( 1989 ) . She also played Lady Eloise in the 1992 film Boomerang , starring Eddie Murphy . Kitt found a new generation of fans through her roles in the Disney films The Emperor 's New Groove ( 2000 ) , in which she voiced the villainous Yzma , and Holes ( 2003 ) . She reprised the role as Yzma in the direct - to - video sequel Kronk 's New Groove ( 2005 ) , as well as the animated series The Emperor 's New School ( 2006 -- 2008 ) . Her work on the latter earned her two Daytime Emmy Awards . She posthumously won a third Emmy in 2010 for her guest performance on Wonder Pets . </P>
who plays yzma from emperor 's new groove
who plays yzma from emperor 's new groove
Eartha Kitt
Eartha Kitt