Original TV Batman West dies – ‘He’s bright and fun to work with’

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LOS ANGELES, June 11, (Agencies): Adam West, whose straight-faced portrayal of Batman in a campy 1960s TV series lifted the tight-clad Caped Crusader into the national consciousness, has died at age 88, his publicist Molly Schoneveld said Saturday.

West died Friday night after “a short but brave battle with leukemia,” his family said in a statement.

West played the superhero straight for kids and funny for adults. He initially chaffed at being typecast after “Batman” went off the air after three seasons, but in later years he admitted he was pleased to have had a role in kicking off a big-budget film franchise by showing the character’s wide appeal.

“You get terribly typecast playing a character like that,” he told The Associated Press in a 2014 interview.

“But in the overall, I’m delighted because my character became iconic and has opened a lot of doors in other ways, too.” He returned to the role in an episode of the animated “The Simpsons.”

“He was bright, witty and fun to work with,” Julie Newmar, who played Catwoman to West’s Batman, said in a statement. “I will miss him in the physical world and savor him always in the world of imagination and creativity.”

Burt Ward, who played Batman’s sidekick, Robin, was friends with West for more than 50 years.

“We shared some of the most fun times of our lives together, Ward told the Variety entertainment media outlet. “This is a terribly unexpected loss of my lifelong friend. I will forever miss him.”

A whole new generation of fans knew West as the voice of nutty Mayor Adam West on the long-running animated series “Family Guy.”

“Adam West was a joy to work with, and the kind of guy you always wanted to be around,” ‘’Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane said in a statement.

MacFarlane added: “His positivity, good nature, and sense of fun were undeniable, and it was always a big jolt of the best kind of energy when he walked in to record the show. He knew comedy, and he knew humanity… Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you have given, Mr. Mayor. You’re irreplaceable.”

In April 2012, West received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Born William West Anderson in Walla Walla, Washington, he moved to Seattle at age 15 with his mother after his parents divorced.

He graduated from Whitman College, a private liberal arts school, in Walla Walla.

After serving in the Army, he went to Hollywood and changed his name to Adam West, and began appearing on a number of television series, including “Bonanza,” ‘’Perry Mason” and “Bewitched.”

“Batman” was the role he would remain associated with throughout his life.

The TV show was among the most popular in 1966, the year of its debut, and some of the era’s top actors signed on to play villains. Burgess Meredith squawked as the Penguin. Eartha Kitt purred as Catwoman. And Cesar Romero cackled as the Joker.

Heroism

Years later, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale and Ben Affleck would don Bruce Wayne’s camouflaging cape and cowl.

“Adam West exemplified heroism,” Affleck wrote on Twitter. “Kind, funny and an all around great guy. Thank you for showing us all how it’s done “

Filmmakers Edgar Wright and Leslye Headland were among those lamenting West’s death on Twitter.

“Farewell Adam West. You were MY Batman,” Wright wrote. “Such a super funny, cool, charismatic actor. Loved the show as a kid, still love the show now. POW!”

Headland wrote: “My childhood hero & still my favorite Batman. RIP Adam West. #pow”

West was married three times and had six children. He had homes in Los Angeles and Palm Springs, but he and his wife, Marcelle, spent most of their time at their ranch near Sun Valley, Idaho.

“Our dad always saw himself as The Bright Knight, and aspired to make a positive impact on his fans’ lives,” West’s children said in the statement. “He was and always will be our hero.”

Burt Ward and West worked together only for a few years on ABC’s “Batman,” but their friendship lasted a half-century.

Ward, who played Robin to West’s Batman on the 1966-68 series, said Saturday he was devastated by the passing of his friend and co-star, who died Friday of leukemia at 88. The two last saw each other about two weeks ago when they traveled to the East Coast together for an autograph show.

“I am devastated at the loss of one my very dearest friends,” Ward said in a statement. “Adam and I had a special friendship for more than 50 years. We shared some of the most fun times of our lives together. Our families have deep love and respect for each other. 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 Night.”

Seth Green worked with Ward as a voice actor on Fox’s “Family Guy,” on which West long voiced the unctuous Mayor Adam West character, and on Green’s Adult Swim animated comedy “Robot Chicken.”

“He was a true hero of mine — grew up watching him as Batman, and got the privilege of both working with and directing him,” Green said. “He’s generous and always classy. Very sad to think of the world without our beloved Mayor. How lucky we are he left so much behind.”

Julie Newmar, who co-starred with West and Ward as Catwoman on “Batman,” echoed Green’s sentiments.

“Stellar, exemplar, a king to the end,” Newmar said. “He was bright, witty and fun to work with. I will miss him in the physical world and savor him always in the world of imagination and creativity. He meant so much to people. A friend said: ‘The father that we wanted.’ That is a great gift, no matter how you live it.”

West was first seen as Batman after taking over the roll from Robert Lowery, who starred in 1949’s “Batman and Robin.” Affleck can be seen as Batman in 2016’s “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Suicide Squad.” He will be reprising the character in “Justice League” out Nov 17, 2017.

The show gave rise to a movie version in 1966, in which West also starred, and fueled a franchise that included merchandise like toy Batmobiles, dolls and lunchboxes.

A string of other actors would go on to play the Batman character, including Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale and Ben Affleck.

Though the high-profile role propelled West to stardom and immortalized the DC Comics character in the pop culture consciousness, playing Batman ultimately typecast the actor and later restricted his choice of parts.

“I was almost to the finish line for a lot of big, leading-man type roles that I really wanted, but I’d always come in second or third,” the actor told California’s Orange County Register newspaper in 1989.

“Somebody in charge would always say, ‘Hey, what are you guys doing? You can’t put Batman in bed with Faye Dunaway.’”

Born William West Anderson in Walla Walla, Washington in 1928, the actor later adopted a stage name and moved to Hollywood in 1959.

He had smaller parts in a number of TV shows and movies prior to his life-changing role as the Dark Knight.

Though no later jobs lent him the same level of fame as “Batman,” West worked as a voice actor and made cameo appearances on television shows for the half-century that followed his signature role.

In recent years he voiced a cartoon version of himself as Mayor West in the long-running animated series “Family Guy.”

West is survived by his wife Marcelle, six children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Burt Ward, who acted alongside West as Batman’s sidekick Robin, said in a statement to Variety that he was “devastated” by the loss.

“I will forever miss him,” Ward said. “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.”

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