Iconic Batman Adam West dies in LA aged 88

Adam West, the actor who played the iconic 1960s Batman, has died at 88.
The actor gained cult status for his role in the 1960s Batman TV series – and also voiced eccentric mayor Adam West in Family Guy.

HOLLYWOOD, CA – APRIL 05: Actor Adam West attends a ceremony honoring him with the 2,468th Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on April 5, 2012 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)


Mr West died on Friday night in Los Angeles after suffering from leukaemia, his family said.

He died peacefully surrounded by his family and is survived by his wife Marcelle, six children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

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

Mr West was born in 1928 in the city of Walla Walla in Washington state. After being drafted into the US Army, he served as an announcer on American Forces Network television.

His acting career began in Hawaii before he moved to Hollywood as the eponymous hero in the live-action television series of Batman

While the actor’s career waned after the show was cancelled, both West and the show earned cult status for its tongue-in-cheek style.

In an interview with the Archive of American Television, West explained that the tone of the show “was one of absurdity and tongue in cheek to the point that I found it irresistible”.

He added: “I think they recognised that in me from what they’d seen me do before. I understood the material and brought something to it.

“You can’t play Batman in a serious, square-jawed, straight-ahead way without giving the audience the sense that there’s something behind that mask waiting to get out, that he’s a little crazed, he’s strange.”

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