Adam West was at the pinnacle of pop culture in the s; he was a good-natured actor synonymous with the Caped Crusader role in the popular superhero TV series Batman. He was raised and educated in Washington and graduated with a degree in English literature from Whitman College. After his stint in the Army, he settled in Hawaii, where his acting career began. While in Hollywood, he changed his name to Adam West. He made his feature film debut with a minor role in the drama The Young Philadelphians.
Adam West dead, family says; TV’s Batman was 88
Adam West put the 'batty' in 'Batman'
He was 37, and had been a Hollywood B-lister for almost a decade. But there was a catch — the character was a comic-book figure already adored, or at least known, by legions. There would be expectations. And even if he got it right, he risked being typecast for the rest of his career, like most every other actor who ever played a superhero. He certainly looked and sounded the part: He was tall, handsome, fit, his voice a Bond-like mix of suave and smarm. He had read the comics himself as a boy growing up on a ranch in the Pacific Northwest. But this Batman was different — not the tortured, noirish character who came to life in , in the shadow of totalitarianism, but rather one who was ready for the colorful, splashy s, the brooding cello replaced by a snappy Motown bass.
Batman on His 75th Year of Busting Crime (and Gay Rumors)
Michael Keaton? Val Kilmer? George Clooney? Christian Bale?
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