ADAM WEST BIO
1928 – 2017
Adam West was a true American icon. From his humble beginnings on a wheat farm in Walla Walla, Washington, Adam skyrocketed to fame in Hollywood, pursuing an extraordinary career in entertainment that has spanned half a century. His role as Batman in the classic television series and feature of the same name continues to be seen throughout the world more than fifty years after its debut. While Batman, and his alter ego, Bruce Wayne, remains his signature role, Adam has a multitude of motion picture, theater, and TV credits to his name.
He made nearly 50 movies, including starring or co-starring roles in Drop Dead Gorgeous, The New Age, The Young Philadelphians, An American Vampire Story, Soldier in the Rain, Robinson Crusoe on Mars, and Nevada Smith. He has had starring roles in several TV series other than Batman, including The Detectives, The Last Precinct, and The Clinic. He made countless other TV appearances, including on Big Bang Theory, 30 Rock, Powerless, The Tonight Show and Conan. His theater credits include Volpone at the Mark Taper Forum at the Los Angeles Music Center.
Adam West lent his iconic voice to animated characters in such well-knownseries as Family Guy, The Simpsons, Rugrats, Batman, Animaniacs, Jonny Bravo, Spydogs, Fairly Odd Parents, The Super Adventure Team, Robot Chicken and many others. His voice-over work in animated film includes two animated Batman films: Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders and Batman vs. Two Face, as well as Disney’s Chicken Little and Meet the Robinsons. In 2000, he also contributed the voice of Leonard Fox to the animated short, Redux Riding Hood, which went on to win an Academy Award nomination.
Adam West authored two books, Back to the Batcave and Climbing the Walls.
He lends his support to numerous charities and won $250,000 on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, on behalf of an organization supporting underprivileged women and children in Idaho. He also supported St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Camp Rainbow Gold, in his hometown of Ketchum, Idaho.
For more than 60 years after starting his career in Hollywood, Adam West continued to work consistently in TV and film. His undeniable talent and unique off-kilter brand of humor have become truly iconic in entertainment and his work continues to entertain fans around the world.
In Adam West’s words, “Sometimes, when I think about my career over the past many years, it is hard to remember all of it. Of course, Batman has been an important part of it, and recently, Family Guy. Thanks to your loyalty, both shows have become an enormous success, and Batman has become iconic all over the world. You have no idea how much I appreciate this. We worked hard to make the Caped Crusader innovative, fun and fresh. The colorful characters were brought to life by some great and amazing guest stars. The same thing is happening with Family Guy. When I think of the other TV series, the TV pilots and all those years of movies and stage work I have done, they fade a bit from memory. But I am able to continue my work because of the enormous and positive reaction you’ve given to batman and Family Guy. Thank you.”
Adam West was a devoted and loving family man. He was married to his wife
Marcelle West for over 46 years and was father to six children, grandfather to five and great-grandfather to two. He resided in his beloved Ketchum, Idaho until his passing on June 9th, 2017 after a battle with Leukemia. His positive legacy as The Bright Knight continues to shine through the impact he made both personally as well as through his prodigious body of work.