Adam West, the star of the 1960s Batman television show and a bright spot on Family Guy in recent years, has passed away at the age of 88. A representative told Variety that the star passed away in Los Angeles after a short fight with leukemia. His family released a short statement to Variety, confirming the star’s passing:
“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,”
While West had many roles other than Batman, he has been forever connected to The Caped Crusader and the campy sixties television show that defined the character for decades. West would play Bruce Wayne for three seasons across 120 episodes, one movie appearance, and several animated iterations that include The New Adventures Of Batman in the late 70s and the recent Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders. West also made many cameos and appearances related to his time as Batman, including a showdown with Jerry Lawler in Memphis and a slew of appearances on TV shows over the years — both as Batman and himself.
For younger audience, he actually might be more well known for playing himself as the mayor of Quahog on Seth MacFarlane’s Family Guy. He was also apparently angry he didn’t get a chance to reprise his role as Batman in the Tim Burton film in 1989, recounting the moment in his book Back To The Batcave according to Variety. You’d have to feel there was a bit of humor injected into that aspect, but who knows. No matter what, he’s definitely THE Batman for plenty of people and shall be missed.
(Via Variety)
