Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar! Also, Tippi Hedren, Darryl Stephens and "Don't Trust the B----"s Ray Ford.

(L to r) Tippi Hedren, Darryl Stephens, Julie Newmar, Ray Ford

I couldn't resist an invitation to the Gay & Lesbian Elder Housing (GLEH) Golden Globes viewing party thanks to the presence of its Lifetime Achievement Award honoree Julie Newmar, the Tony-winner and original Catwoman on TV's Batman, and "Black and Gold" dance artist Sam Sparro, who performed at the event's venue, The Jim Henson Theatre in Hollywood. We caught up with a few attendees on the red carpet, including the purrrrrfect Newmar, the stunning Tippi Hedren, Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23's out gay star Ray Ford, and Noah's Arc alum and DTLA star Darryl Stephens.

Julie Newmar

What are you looking forward to this evening?
I'm going to let the show surprise me! Are there any Brits here tonight?

I just watched you as a mystery guest on What's My Line? You were sensational, and you created a funny character voice. Do you have a favorite character you've created?
I think at that time I was doing Marriage-Go-Round and I had to speak Swedish. That's funny. But favorite character? I like the characters where the body is the language. Aren't you cold?

Newmar on What's My Line (left) and as Catwoman

I'm totally fine! You have an awesome gay fan-base. Do you have a favorite interaction with a gay fan?
How about my brother John Newmeyer, the Jeffersonian prince of Harvard University? He's far more famous than I am in the gay community. I mean, I wouldn't deserve to be here without him! John Newmeyer, Esq.! He's got a thousand acres up in Napa. Just knock on the door and say, "We're here!" Bring a thousand friends.

Did you see The Dark Knight Rises?
Yes. It was long. It was long! And there wasn't enough Catwoman!

Photos credit: Clinton Gaughran for AfterElton

What did you think of Anne Hathaway as Catwoman?
Oh, she's brilliant. She's gorgeous, so gorgeous. What a gorgeous actress! The truth is, Catwoman will always be done. It'll be like Carmen. It's just something that will go down in history, even hundreds of years from now.

Do you have a favorite Catwoman?
I quite liked Michelle Pfeiffer. She was great!

Tippi Hedren

How was being on Raising Hope with Melanie? It looked like a blast.
It was so much fun! Both Melanie and I played despicable characters. We were really awful people. Cloris Leachman is such a nutcase. It was one of the most fun shoots I've ever done.

You were very involved with HBO's The Girl, the movie about how oppressive Hitchcock was to you on the set of The Birds. That must've been a harrowing time to revisit.
It is, even though it was a 50 years ago. I never was planning on doing a movie. It never came to my mind! So when I was approached to do this, I thought, "This wouldn't be a bad thing to tell people, especially for women who've had this sort of thing happen, being the object of someone's obsession and how to get of it." You know? I could write a book about getting out of situations.

Over the years I've read conversations between you and fellow Hitchcock stars like Eva Marie Saint and Kim Novak. Has your relationship changed with them?
No, no. Not at all. There were several people [who Hitchcock fixated on]. I wasn't the only one. Two actresses got pregnant to get away from him, to get out of their contracts.

Vera Miles? I can do the math.
[Vaguely] ...Yes. There was another one as well. It was so sad, because I really loved working with him. It was an amazing thing to have him as my drama coach as well as my director. It was really stunning.

Do you know Julie well?
Oh yeah, I know Julie! She's been out to the reserve.

Ooh! How are all the animals doing?
They're loving the cold! Especially the tigers. They have those coats, you know. People say, "How do they take the cold?" I say, "They have those coats, of course!"

Darryl Stephens of Noah's Arc and DTLA

So, tonight's honoree is Julie Newmar, who played one of the most gay-beloved superheroes ever. Who's your gay superhero?
My gay superhero is -- well, Beyonce's too obvious, right? Barack Obama! Barack Obama has helped to change the conversation about gay folks in America. His support came at a time that was really pivotal for us. I mean, Frank Ocean coming out and Anderson Cooper coming out around the same time. Particularly in hip hop, the conversation has been bizarre and stilted for a long time, and with Frank and President Obama, black people are talking about it in a different way, which is really exciting for me.

Ray Ford of Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23

Who's your gay superhero?
This is corny, but Ellen! And let me just tell you why: She was one of the first ones. Before it was in to come out -- or before it was OK to come out -- she did that. I just think that first person is the one who gets the tip of my hat. And she continues to be visible and married and seemingly happy. She's doing a normal life, and I just think that's a great route.

A number of other notable folks came out to honor Julie Newmar and support GLEH. Check out the red carpet...

Unless otherwise noted, all photos Clinton Gaughran for AfterElton