Adam West | ||||
Birthname: William West Anderson
Born: September 19, 1928 Died: June 9, 2017 Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, USA Years Active: 1950s-Present Spouse: Billie Lou Yeager (1950-1956); Frisbie Dawson (1957-1962); Marcelle Tagand Lear (1971-Present) Best Known As: "Adam West is Batman!" A phrase commonly used by many fans throughout the world. Official Website: AdamWest.com |
Background[]
Adam West is widely considered the ultimate Batman actor. He portrayed him on a number of occasions, in the the 1966, original live action series, as well as in Legends of the Superheroes (1979). He's also voiced the character for animated shows, such as; The New Adventures of Batman (1977), SuperFriends: The Legendary Super Powers Show (1984) and The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians (1985).
Though most remember West's campy portrayal of Batman in the 60's, many fans have come to love his much darker take on Batman in The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians episode The Fear, in which for the first time on television, Batman's origin is shown.
According to Alan Burnett, the people at DC Comics were angry with the folks working on the Superfriends for casting Adam West as Batman. This was because they were attempting to put the campy days of Batman behind them, nevertheless, they were reassured that this time Adam West's portrayal will be far more serious; and that was especially the case with The Fear.
Voice on Super Friends[]
After more than 10 years of Olan Soule doing the voice of Batman, Adam West took over. It appeared to be bitter sweet for many fans. While they loved Olan, Adam West was Batman.
- As the voice of Batman for two series of the Super Friends: