Adam West

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This article is about the American actor. For the Family Guy character voiced by him, see Adam West (Family Guy). For other uses, see Adam West (disambiguation).

Adam West
Adam West by Gage Skidmore 3.jpg
West in 2014
Born
William West Anderson

(1928-09-19)September 19, 1928
Walla Walla, Washington, U.S.
DiedJune 9, 2017(2017-06-09) (aged 88)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma materWhitman College
OccupationActor
Years active1954–2017
Known for
  • Bruce Wayne/Batman
  • Mayor Adam West
  • Colonel Dan McReady
  • Catman
Television
  • Batman
  • Family Guy
  • The Simpsons
  • The Fairly OddParents
Spouse(s)
  • Billie Lou Yeager
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1950; div. 1956)​
  • Nga Frisbie Dawson
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1957; div. 1962)​
  • Marcelle Tagand Lear
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1970)​
Children4
AwardsInkpot Award (1980)[1]

William West Anderson (September 19, 1928 – June 9, 2017), known professionally as Adam West, was an American actor. He is best remembered for portraying Batman in the 1960s ABC series of the same name, and its 1966 theatrical feature film, reprising the role in other films and television shows until his retirement from live-action appearances (except for voice acting). West began acting in films in the 1950s. He played opposite Chuck Connors in Geronimo (1962) and The Three Stooges in The Outlaws Is Coming (1965). He also appeared in the science fiction film Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964) and performed voice work on The Fairly OddParents (2003–2017), The Simpsons (1992, 2002), and Family Guy (2000–2018), playing fictional versions of himself in all three.

Early life[]

Adam West was born William West Anderson on September 19, 1928, in Walla Walla, Washington.[2][3] His father, Otto Anderson (1903–1984) was a farmer descending from Scania in southern Sweden; and his mother, Audrey Volenne (née Speer; 1906–1969) was an opera singer and concert pianist who left her Hollywood dreams to care for her family.[4] Following her example, West told his father as a young man that he intended to go to Hollywood after completing school. He moved to Seattle with his mother when he was 15, following his parents' divorce.[5]

West attended Walla Walla High School during his freshman and sophomore years and later enrolled in Lakeside School in Seattle. He attended Whitman College but studied at University of Puget Sound[6] during the fall semester of 1949. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in literature and a minor in psychology from Whitman College[7] in Walla Walla, where he was a member of the Gamma Zeta Chapter of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He also participated on the speech and debate team. Drafted into the United States Army, he served as an announcer on American Forces Network television. After his discharge, he worked as a milkman before moving to Hawaii to pursue a career in television.[4]

Career[]

Early roles[]

West with Anita Sands in a 1961 publicity photo for The Detectives

While in Hawaii, West was picked for a role as the sidekick on a local TV program, The Kini Popo Show, which also featured a chimp named Peaches. West later took over as host of the show.[8] In 1959, West moved with his wife and two children to Hollywood,[4] where he took the stage name Adam West.[9]

He appeared in the film The Young Philadelphians which starred Paul Newman.[10] He had guest-star roles in a number of television Westerns. On three Warner Bros. westerns which aired on ABC—Sugarfoot, Colt .45, and Lawman—West played the role of Doc Holliday, the frontier dentist and gunfighter.[11] West also appeared playing different characters in two episodes of Maverick opposite James Garner: "Two Tickets to Ten Strike" and "A Fellow's Brother" in 1958.[11]

On January 10, 1961, West appeared as a young, ambitious deputy who foolishly confronts a gunfighter named Clay Jackson, portrayed by Jock Mahoney, in the episode "The Man from Kansas" of the NBC Western series Laramie.[12] He played Christopher Rolf in the episode "Stopover" of ABC's The Rifleman, which aired on April 25, 1961.[13]

West made two guest appearances on Perry Mason in 1961 and 1962. His first role was as small-town journalist Dan Southern in "The Case of the Barefaced Witness".[13] His other role was as folk singer Pete Norland in "The Case of the Bogus Books".[14]

He made a brief appearance in the 1963 film Soldier in the Rain starring Jackie Gleason and Steve McQueen,[15] and starred as Colonel Dan McCready, the ill-fated mission commander of Mars Gravity Probe 1 in the 1964 film Robinson Crusoe on Mars.[16] That same year he was cast alongside William Shatner in the pilot for the proposed series Alexander the Great, playing Cleander to Shatner's Alexander. The series was not picked up and the pilot wasn't broadcast until 1968 when it was repackaged as a TV movie to capitalize on West and Shatner's later fame. West was apparently unsurprised by the rejection, later noting that "It turned out to be one of the worst scripts I have ever read and it was one of the worst things I've ever done."[17][18]

West starred in an episode of the ABC Outer Limits series titled "The Invisible Enemy".[19]

In 1965, he was cast in the comedy Western The Outlaws Is Coming, the last feature film starring The Three Stooges.[citation needed]

1960s–80s[]

Adam West as...
...Batman!

Batman[]

Main articles: Batman (TV series) and Batman (1966 film)

Producer William Dozier cast West as Bruce Wayne and his alter ego, Batman, in the television series Batman, in part after seeing West perform as the James Bond-like spy Captain Q in a Nestlé Quik commercial. He was in competition with Lyle Waggoner for the Batman role.[20]

The popular campy show ran on ABC from 1966 to 1968; a feature-length film version directed by Leslie H. Martinson was released in 1966.[21]

In 1966, West released a novelty song Miranda as his Batman character.[22]

Also in character, West appeared in a public service announcement in which he encouraged schoolchildren to heed then-President Lyndon B. Johnson's call for them to buy U.S. savings stamps, a children's version of U.S. savings bonds, to support the Vietnam War.[23]

In 1970, West was considered for the role of James Bond by producer Albert Broccoli for the film Diamonds Are Forever.[24]

Post-Batman career[]

After his high-profile role, West, along with Burt Ward and Yvonne Craig (who played crime-fighting sidekicks Robin and Batgirl), was typecast; all three found it difficult to find other roles. West's first post-Caped Crusader role was in the film The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1969). His lead performance against type as cynical tough guy Johnny Cain did not erode his Batman image; the movie was a box office disappointment.[citation needed]

For a time, West made a living from personal appearances as Batman. In 1974, when Ward and Craig reprised their Batman roles for a TV public-service announcement about equal pay for women, West did not participate; instead, Dick Gautier appeared as Batman.[25] One of West's more memorable Batman appearances, after the series had ended, was with the Memphis-based United States Wrestling Association, where he engaged in a war of words with Jerry "The King" Lawler while wearing the cowl and a tracksuit, and even name-dropping Spider-Man.[26]

West subsequently appeared in the theatrical films The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker (1971),[27] The Curse of the Moon Child (1972),[28] The Specialist (1975),[29] Hooper (as himself; 1978), The Happy Hooker Goes Hollywood (1980),[29] One Dark Night (1983)[30] and Young Lady Chatterley II (1985). West also appeared in such television films as The Eyes of Charles Sand (1972),[31] Poor Devil (1973),[32] Nevada Smith (1975),[33] For the Love of It (1980)[34] and I Take These Men (1983).[35]

West split his time between residences in Palm Springs, California, and Ketchum, Idaho.[36]

He did guest shots on the television series; Maverick, Diagnosis: Murder, Love, American Style, Bonanza, The Big Valley, Night Gallery, Alias Smith and Jones, Mannix, Emergency!, Alice, Police Woman, Operation Petticoat, The American Girls, Vega$, Big Shamus, Little Shamus, Laverne & Shirley, Bewitched, Fantasy Island, The Love Boat, Hart to Hart, Zorro, The King of Queens, and George Lopez. West was also in an episode of Bonanza that supposedly never aired until reruns were shown and he made several guest appearances as himself on Family Feud. In 1986, he starred in the comedy police series titled The Last Precinct.[37]

Return to Batman[]

West often reprised his role as Batman/Bruce Wayne, first in the short-lived animated series The New Adventures of Batman, and in other shows such as The Batman/Tarzan Adventure Hour, Tarzan and the Super 7, and The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians (succeeding Olan Soule in the role). In 1979, West once again donned the Batsuit for the live-action TV special Legends of the Superheroes. In 1985, DC Comics named West as one of the honorees in the company's 50th-anniversary publication Fifty Who Made DC Great for his work on the Batman series.[38]

West was considered to play Thomas Wayne, Bruce Wayne's father, in Tim Burton's 1989 Batman film. Originally, he wanted to play Batman.[39][40] West never appeared in any of the theatrically released post-1960s Batman franchise motion pictures and, to date, neither has Burt Ward, who played Robin in the TV series. He did, however, serve as a voice actor in various Batman-related animated series and films. West appeared in a 1992 episode, "Beware the Gray Ghost", of Batman: The Animated Series on Fox, as Simon Trent,[41] a washed-up actor who used to play a superhero in a TV series called The Gray Ghost and who now has difficulty finding work. He had a recurring role as the voice of Mayor Grange in the 2004-2008 WB animated series The Batman.[42] West was the voice of Batman in the 2005 CGI-animated short film Batman: New Times.[43] He co-starred with Mark Hamill, who vocally portrayed The Joker and had originally played the role on Batman: The Animated Series.[43] West also voiced Thomas Wayne in a 2010 episode, "Chill of the Night!", of the cartoon series Batman: The Brave and the Bold.[44]

1990s–2000s[]

West in 1989 at the 41st Primetime Emmy Awards

During the 1990s, West's status as a pop culture icon led to appearances as himself in the film Drop Dead Gorgeous and in several TV series, including NewsRadio, Murphy Brown, The Adventures of Pete & Pete, The Ben Stiller Show,[45] and The Drew Carey Show.[46] He notably appeared as "Dr. Wayne" in the 1990 Zorro episode "The Wizard", even being shown Zorro's "secret cave" headquarters. In 1991, he starred in the pilot episode of Lookwell, in which he portrayed a has-been TV action hero who falsely believes he can solve mysteries in real life. The pilot, written by Conan O'Brien and Robert Smigel in their pre-Late Night period, aired on NBC that summer, but was not picked up as a series.[47] It was later broadcast on the Trio channel, under the "Brilliant But Cancelled" block.[48] In 1994, West played a non-comedic role as the father of Peter Weller's character in the Michael Tolkin film The New Age.[49]

He played a washed-up superhero in the Goosebumps television series episode "Attack of the Mutant".[50] The boy hero is a comic book geek whose favorite superhero, Galloping Gazelle (West's character), is portrayed as fading and on the verge of retirement. Towards the end, the boy is shocked to learn that the Gazelle is real, though he (the boy) must save the day by himself.[51]

In 1994, West, with Jeff Rovin, wrote his autobiography, Back to the Batcave published by Berkeley Books.[52] In 1997, Virgin Interactive released the gambling simulation game Golden Nugget. West acted in the video cut scenes of the "Chaos Mystery" storyline subgame.[53] In 2001, he played the super-villain Breathtaker on the short-lived television series Black Scorpion.[54]

In 2003, West and Burt Ward starred in the television movie Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt, alongside Frank Gorshin, Julie Newmar, and Lee Meriwether.[55] Jack Brewer portrayed West in flashbacks to the production of Batman.[56] In 2005, West appeared in the CBS show The King of Queens. In the episode, Spence first asks Lou Ferrigno to go to a sci-fi convention, but when Spence meets West (playing himself), he leaves Ferrigno and asks West to come with him.[57] He appears prominently in the 2006 video for California band STEFY's song "Chelsea" as "Judge Adam West", presiding over the courtroom scene.[58]

In 2007, West appeared in a recurring role on George Lopez, as an attorney for George's mother, and he starred as "The Boss" in the movie comedy Sexina: Popstar PI.[59] Following the release of a Batman game, a host of the show X-Play visited West on the show. In 2009, West played himself in the episode "Apollo, Apollo" of 30 Rock.[57]

2010s[]

West at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con

In 2010, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to him.[60] West received the 2,468th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on April 5, 2012.[61] His star is located at 6764 Hollywood Boulevard in front of the Guinness Museum in Hollywood, California.[62]

West appeared in a number of videos for Funnyordie.com.[63]

He was interviewed in 2013 on the PBS series called Pioneers of Television in the season-three episode called "Superheroes".[64] Also in 2013, he was the subject of the documentary Starring Adam West.[65]

West is among the interview subjects in Superheroes: A Never-Ending Battle, a three-hour documentary narrated by Liev Schreiber that premiered on PBS in October 2013.[66]

In February 2016, West guest-starred as himself on the 200th episode of The Big Bang Theory.[67]

In January 2017, West appeared on the British comedy panel show "Through the Keyhole" in which viewers and panellists looked around West's Los Angeles home by video.[68]

Walla Walla, Washington, Adam West's hometown, officially celebrates its annual "Adam West Day" on September 19, with the first one celebrated in 2017.[69][70]

Voice-over work and advertising[]

Having a distinctive voice, West built a career doing voice-over work on a number of animated series (often as himself), including appearances on The Simpsons,[71] Futurama,[72] Rugrats,[73] Histeria!,[73] Kim Possible,[73] and Johnny Bravo.[72]

He also appeared in many episodes of Nickelodeon's cartoon The Fairly OddParents as a cat-obsessed version of himself, who is famous for playing a superhero called Catman, and who actually believes he is Catman.[74] His later appearance in The Fairly OddParents was a parody of himself, hired to play the role of the Crimson Chin in the movie of the same name. Yet another appearance on the show had him as himself in a fairy-sponsored video about how to cope with losing one's fairy godparents. In later seasons, the role for this version of Adam West was recast to Jeff Bennett.[74]

In 1997, West appeared in a national television advertising campaign for Ziebart.[75]

From 2000, West made regular appearances on the animated series Family Guy, on which he played Mayor Adam West, the lunatic mayor of Quahog, Rhode Island. His role brought West a new wave of popularity post-Batman, and lead writer Seth MacFarlane claims to have gone out of his way to avoid typecasting West by deliberately not making any references to Batman.[76]

Some of his last voice-over performances were playing the role of Uncle Art in the Disney Animation film Meet the Robinsons,[73] and voicing the young Mermaid Man (along with Burt Ward, who voiced the young Barnacle Boy) in the cartoon show SpongeBob SquarePants, in the episode "Back to the Past" in 2010.[77]

West also played the voice of General Carrington in the video game XIII,[78] and voiced other video games such as Marc Eckō's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure,[79] Chicken Little: Ace in Action,[80] Scooby-Doo! Unmasked, and Goosebumps: Attack of the Mutant.[51]

In November 2014, West voiced himself, the 1960s version of Batman, and the Gray Ghost in the video game Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham.[81]

In 2016 West was the voice of TV's Batman for the Batman '66 pinball game produced by Stern Pinball Incorporated.[82]

West also did voice-over work for superhero-themed commercials for the investment firm LendingTree and television commercials for Hebrew National hot dogs.[83]

Personal life[]

West at Wizard World St. Louis 2014

West was married three times. His first marriage was to his college girlfriend Billie Lou Yeager in 1950. The couple divorced six years later. In 1957, he married Cook Island dancer Ngatokorua Frisbie Dawson, part of the Puka Puka Otea in Hawaii. They had two children before their divorce in 1962.[84][85][86] West then married Marcelle Tagand Lear in November 1970. They had two children and remained together for more than 46 years, until West's death.[85] West also had two step-children.[87]

During the Batman television series, West's relationship with co-star Burt Ward was described as "problematic". He said, "Burt fell victim to making up stories to sell books. But in a way it was flattering, because he made me sound like King Kong."[86] West also said that he played Batman "for laughs, but in order to do [that], one had to never think it was funny. You just had to pull on that cowl and believe that no one would recognize you."[88] Also during the Batman series, he became close friends with crossover co-star Van Williams, who played The Green Hornet. The two of them were also neighbors for a while and spent much time together outdoors, including fishing and hunting, a common hobby with Williams.[89]

Death[]

On June 9, 2017, West died from leukemia in Los Angeles at the age of 88.[3][90][91] In a statement, his former Batman co-star and longtime friend Burt Ward said: "This is a terribly unexpected loss of my lifelong friend, I will forever miss him. There are several fine actors who have portrayed Batman in films. In my eyes, there was only one real Batman that is and always will be Adam West. He was truly the Bright Knight."[92] Batman: The Animated Series actor Kevin Conroy (who performed alongside West in the episode "Beware the Gray Ghost") said "Adam West was an incredibly good, generous actor. Loved working with him as Gray Ghost. A true gentleman".[93]

On June 15, 2017, Los Angeles projected the Bat-Signal on City Hall as a tribute to West, and in his hometown of Walla Walla, Washington, the Bat-Signal was shone upon the landmark Whitman Tower.[94][95]

West had pre-recorded five more Family Guy episodes as Mayor Adam West, which were released posthumously as part of the sixteenth season.[96] He also recorded the 11th episode of Powerless, which never aired due to the show's cancellation. NBC aired the episode online after West's death.[97]

West's last public appearances were from March to April 2017 at the SouthCoast Comic Con & Collectibles Extravaganza in Hanover, Massachusetts, where he was the guest of honor,[98][99][100] Fan Expo Dallas,[101] and the second annual Silicon Valley Comic Con.[102]

Filmography[]

Film[]

Year Title Role Notes
1957 Voodoo Island Weather Station #4 Radio Operator Uncredited
1958 Ghost of the China Sea Uncredited
1959 The Young Philadelphians William Lawrence III
The FBI Story Man on Two Way Radio Voice, Uncredited
1962 Geronimo Lt. John Delahay
1963 Tammy and the Doctor Dr. Eric Hassler
Soldier in the Rain Inspecting Captain
1964 Robinson Crusoe on Mars Colonel Dan McReady
1965 The Outlaws Is Coming Kenneth Cabot
Mara of the Wilderness Ken Williams
The Relentless Four Ranger Sam Garrett
1966 Batman Bruce Wayne / Batman
1969 The Girl Who Knew Too Much Johnny Cain
1971 The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker Chester
1972 Curse of the Moon Child
1974 Hell River Kurt Kohler
1975 The Specialist Jerry Bounds
1978 Hooper Himself
1980 Warp Speed Shuttle captain
The Happy Hooker Goes Hollywood Lionel Lamely
1982 One Dark Night Allan McKenna
1984 Hell Riders Doctor Dave
1985 Yellow Pages Henry's Father Uncredited
Young Lady Chatterley II Professor Arthur Bohart Jr.
1986 Zombie Nightmare Capt. Tom Churchman
1988 Doin' Time on Planet Earth Charles Pinsky
Return Fire Carruthers
Night of the Kickfighters Carl McMann
1989 Mad About You Edward Harris
1990 Omega Cop Prescott
1991 Maxim Xul Professor Marduk
1994 The New Age Jeff Witner
Not This Part of the World
The Best Movie Ever Made Himself
1995 Run for Cover Senator Prescott
1996 The Size of Watermelons Himself
1997 Redux Riding Hood Leonard Fox Voice, Short
Joyride Harold
American Vampire The Big Kahuna
1999 Drop Dead Gorgeous Himself
2001 Seance Homeless Man / Angel Also known as Killer in the Dark, released online in 2015
2002 From Heaven to Hell
2003 Baadasssss! Bert
Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt Himself TV movie
2004 Tales from Beyond Jay (segment "The Bookstore")
2005 Aloha, Scooby-Doo! Jared Moon Voice, Direct-to-DVD
Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story Mayor Adam West Voice, Direct-to-DVD
Buckaroo: The Movie Judge Werner
Chicken Little Ace - Hollywood Chicken Little Voice
Angels with Angles Alfred the Butler
2007 Meet the Robinsons Uncle Art Voice
Sexina: Popstar P.I. The Boss
2009 Ratko: The Dictator's Son Kostka Volvic
Super Capers: The Origins of Ed and the Missing Bullion Manbat / Cab Driver
2011 Pizza Man Himself
2015 Scooby-Doo! and the Beach Beastie Sandy Blake Voice, Direct-to-DVD
2016 Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders Bruce Wayne / Batman (voice) Direct-to-DVD
2017 Batman vs. Two-Face Direct-to-DVD
Posthumous release, (final film role)

Television[]

Year Title Role Notes
1954–1955 The Philco Television Playhouse Ham Ector 3 episodes
1958–1959 77 Sunset Strip Jim Beck / Lonnie Drew / Ernest Detterback 3 episodes
1959 Grand Jury Fenway Episode: "The Big Boss"
Lawman Doc Holliday Episode: "The Wayfarer"
Sugarfoot Doc Holliday / Frederick Pulaski 2 episodes
Cheyenne Ashley Claiborn Episode: "Blind Spot"
Bronco Major Carter Episode: "The Burning Springs"
Colt .45 Doc Holliday / Marshal Joe Benjamin / Sgt. Ed Kallen 3 episodes
Maverick George Henry Arnett / Rudolph St. Cloud / Vic Nolan 3 episodes
Hawaiian Eye George Nolen Episode: "The Quick Return"
Bourbon Street Beat Deputy Episode: "The Black Magnolia"
1960 Johnny Midnight Jake Hill Episode: "The Villain of the Piece"
Overland Trail Wild Bill Hickok Episode: "Westbound Stage"
Goodyear Theatre David Episode: "All in the Family"
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse Johnny Cinderella Episode: "Murder Is a Private Affair"
1961–1963 Laramie Kett Darby / Deputy 2 episodes
1961 Tales of Wells Fargo Steve Daco Episode: "The Has-Been"
Bonanza Frank Milton Episode: "The Bride"
1961–1962 Perry Mason Pete Norland / Dan Southern 2 episodes
1961 Michael Shayne Dave Owens Episode: "Date with Death"
The Rifleman Christopher Rolf Episode: "Stopover"
Guestward, Ho! Larry Crawford Episode: "Bill, the Fireman"
1961–1962 The Detectives Det. Sgt. Steve Nelson 30 episodes
1962 The Beachcomber Huckabee Episode: "Captain Huckabee's Beard"
1963 The Real McCoys Buzz Cooper Episode: "The Crop Duster"
Gunsmoke Emmett Episode: "Ash"
1964 Petticoat Junction Dr. Clayton Harris 2 episodes
The Outer Limits Major Charles 'Chuck' Merritt Episode: "The Invisible Enemy"
Bewitched Kermit Episode: "Love Is Blind"
1965 The Virginian Sam Loomis Episode: "Legend for a Lawman"
1966–1968 Batman Bruce Wayne / Batman 120 episodes
1966 The Milton Berle Show Batman Episode #1.2
1968 The Big Valley Major Jonathan Eliot Episode: "In Silent Battle"
1971 Night Gallery Mr. Hyde Episode: "With Apologies to Mr. Hyde"
1972 Primus Jenson Episode: "Sea Serpent"
Alias Smith and Jones Brubaker Episode: "The Men That Corrupted Hadleyburg"
The Eyes of Charles Sand Dr. Paul Scott Television film
This Is the Life GI Hank Mathes Episode: "The Revenge of Cho Lin"
Mannix Jonathan Forsythe Episode: "A Puzzle for One"
1973 Poor Devil Dennis Crawford Television film
1974 Emergency! Vic Webster Episode: "The Bash"
1975 Nevada Smith Frank Hartlee Television film
1976 Shazam! Hercules Voice, Episode: "The Delinquent"
Alice Mr. Turner Episode: "Sex Education"
1977 The New Adventures of Batman Bruce Wayne / Batman Voice, 16 episodes
Police Woman Morgan Episode: "Guns"
1978 Operation Petticoat Steve Fleming Episode: "Bless You, My Sub"
Tarzan and the Super 7 Bruce Wayne / Batman Voice
The American Girls Episode: "The Beautiful People Jungle"
1979 Legends of the Superheroes Bruce Wayne / Batman 2 episodes
Big Shamus, Little Shamus Harley Morgan Episode: "The Loser"
1980–1984 Fantasy Island Frank McKenna / Philip Breem 2 episodes
1980 For the Love of It Jock Higgins Television film
1981 Warp Speed Captain Lofton Television film
Time Warp Col. Ed Westin Television film
1982 Laverne & Shirley Edgar Garibaldi Episode: "The Gymnast"
1983 I Take These Men Craig Wyler Television film
The Love Boat Bob Williams Episode: "Doc's Big Case/Senior Sinners/A Booming Romance"
Hart to Hart David Stockwood Episode: "Love Game"
1984 Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show Bruce Wayne / Batman Voice, 8 episodes
1985 The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians Voice, 8 episodes
1986 The Last Precinct Captain Rick Wright 8 episodes
1987 Murder, She Wrote Wade Talmadge Episode: "Death Takes a Dive"
1990 Zorro Dr. Henry Wayne Episode: "The Wizard"
1991 Lookwell Ty Lookwell Pilot
1992 The Ben Stiller Show Himself Episode: "With Colin Quinn"
Batman: The Animated Series Simon Trent / The Gray Ghost Voice, Episode: "Beware the Gray Ghost"
Rugrats Captain Blasto Voice, Episode: "Superhero Chuckie"
1992; 1993 General Hospital Himself 14 episodes
1992; 2002 The Simpsons Himself / Batman (voice) 2 episodes
1993 Danger Theatre Capt. Mike Morgan 4 episodes
Tales from the Crypt Chapman Episode: "As Ye Sow"
1994 The Good Life Himself Episode: "John Hurts His Leg or Tales from the Crip"
The Critic Voice, Episode: "Eyes on the Prize"
Nurses Mr. Greer Episode: "All the Pretty Caseys"
Space Ghost Coast to Coast Himself Episode: "Batmantis"
1995 The Adventures of Pete & Pete Principal Ken Schwinger 2 episodes
Muscle Jim Atkinson Episode #1.5
Hope and Gloria Himself Episode: "Who's Poppa?"
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Jerry Retchen Episode: "Whine, Whine, Whine"
Burke's Law Dean Winters Episode: "Who Killed the Toy Maker?"
The Clinic Horton Van Hoon 5 episodes
1996 Goosebumps The Galloping Gazelle 2 episodes
Weird Science Himself Episode: "Strangers in Paradise"
1997 Pauly Episode: "Spies Like Us"
The Wayans Bros. TV Host Episode: "The Black Widower"
Murphy Brown Himself Episode: "Hero Today, Gone Tomorrow"
1997–2004 Johnny Bravo Voice, 2 episodes
1997 Animaniacs Spruce Wayne / Caped Crusader (voice) Episode: "Boo Wonder"
1998 Jenny Himself Episode: "A Girl's Gotta Hang with a Celebrity"
1998–1999 The Secret Files of the Spy Dogs Dog Zero / Leonardo da Vinci Voice, 22 episodes
1998 Diagnosis: Murder Bruce Blazer Episode: "Write, She Murdered"
Histeria! Ernest Hemingway Voice, 2 episodes
NewsRadio Himself Episode: "Clash of the Titans"
1999 Pacific Blue Macon Dean Episode: "Stargazer"
2000–2018 Family Guy Mayor Adam West (voice) 118 episodes
2001 Black Scorpion Dr. Noah Goddard / Breathtaker 5 episodes
The Drew Carey Show Mitch Episode: "Hotel Drew"
2003 Kim Possible Timothy North / Fearless Ferret (voice) Episode: "The Fearless Ferret"
The Mullets Himself Episode: "Silent But Deadly"
2003–2008 The Fairly OddParents Himself / Catman (voice) 6 episodes
2003 The Bronx Bunny Show Himself 1 episode
2004 Monster Island Dr. Harryhausen Television film
2004–2006 The Batman Mayor Marion Grange (voice) 7 episodes
2005 The King of Queens Himself Episode: "Shear Torture"
The Boondocks R. Kelly's Lawyer (voice role) Episode: "The Trial of Robert Kelly"
2007 George Lopez Jonathon K. Martin 2 episodes
2008 Guiding Light Himself 1 episode
2009 30 Rock Episode: "Apollo, Apollo"
2010 SpongeBob SquarePants Young Mermaid Man (voice role) Episode: " Back to the Past"
Batman: The Brave and the Bold Proto-Bot / Thomas Wayne (voice role) 2 episodes
2011 The Super Hero Squad Show Nighthawk (voice role) Episode: "Whom Continuity Would Destroy!"
2011–2012 Jake and the Never Land Pirates Wise Old Parrot (voice role) 3 episodes
2015–2017 Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero Captain Super Captain / Professor Evil Professor (voice role) 4 episodes
2015 Robot Chicken DC Comics Special III: Magical Friendship 60's Batman / Robber (voice role) Television special
Moonbeam City Razzle Novak (voice role) Episode: "Stuntstravaganza"
2016 The Big Bang Theory Himself Episode: "The Celebration Experimentation"
2017 Powerless Narrator / Chairman Dean West 2 episodes

Video games[]

Year Title Role Notes
1997 Golden Nugget Hugh Swain
Goosebumps: Attack of the Mutant The Galloping Gazelle
2003 XIII General Carrington
2005 Scooby-Doo! Unmasked Winslow Stanton
2006 Family Guy Video Game! Mayor Adam West
Disney's Chicken Little: Ace in Action Ace
2007 Meet the Robinsons Uncle Art
2012 Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse Mayor Adam West
2013 Grand Theft Auto V 1st Guard
2014 Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham Himself / Classic Batman / The Gray Ghost
Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff Mayor Adam West

References[]

  1. ^ "Inkpot Award". Comic-Con International: San Diego. December 6, 2012.
  2. ^ "'Batman' Actor Adam West Dies at 88". wnep.com. June 10, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Gates, Anita (June 10, 2017). "Sad Day for Gotham: Adam West, Who Played Batman, Dies at 88". The New York Times. p. A27.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c Tooley, James E. (director) (2013). Starring Adam West (Documentary). United States: Chromatic Films.
  5. ^ "BIOGRAPHY: Adam West". Lifetime. Archived from the original on August 15, 2015. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  6. ^ Holy Logger, Batman! Before stardom, Adam West attended University of Puget Sound, "The Olympian", June 2017
  7. ^ Interview, Whitman Magazine, December 2006
  8. ^ Maglio, Tony (June 10, 2017). "Adam West, TV's Batman in the '60s, Dies at 88". TheWrap. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  9. ^ "Adam West, TV's 'Batman,' dies at 88 after battle with leukemia, family says". Fox News. June 10, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  10. ^ Weiler, A. H. (May 22, 1959). "Young Philadelphians'". The New York Times. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b Rutland, Joe (April 18, 2021). "'Maverick': Actor Adam West Guest Starred as Doc Holliday in Three Different Western Sitcoms". Outsider. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
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Sources[]

  • West, Adam; Rovin, Jeff (1994). Back to the Batcave (Trade Paperback ed.). New York City: Berkley Books. ISBN 978-0425143704.
  • Khanna, Vikrant (2017). The Girl Who Knew Too Much: What if the Loved One You Lost Were to Come Back?. New York City: Penguin Random House India Pvt Ltd. ISBN 978-0143439943. ASIN 0143439944 .

External links[]

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