Overview (4)

Mini Bio (1)

Adam West was born William West Anderson on September 19, 1928 in Walla Walla, Washington, to parents Otto West Anderson, a farmer, and his wife Audrey V. (Speer), an opera singer. At age 10, Adam had a cache of comic books, and "Batman" made a big impression on him--the comic hero was part bat-man (a la Count Dracula) and part world's greatest detective (a la Charlie Chan and Sherlock Holmes). When his mother remarried to a Dr. Paul Flothow, she took Adam and his younger brother, John, to Seattle. At age 14, Adam attended Lakeside School, then went to Whitman College, where he got a degree in literature and psychology. During his last year of college, he also married 17-year-old Billie Lou Yeager.



Adam got a job as a disc jockey at a local radio station, then enrolled at Stanford for post-grad courses. Drafted into the army, he spent the next two years starting military television stations, first at San Luis Obispo, California, then at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. Afterwards, Adam and his wife toured Europe, visiting Germany, Switzerland and Italy's Isle of Capri. When the money ran out, he joined a childhood and college buddy, Carl Hebenstreit, who was starring in the kiddie program "The Kini Popo Show" in Hawaii. Adam would eventually replace Carl but not the other star, Peaches the Chimp. In 1956, he got a divorce and married a beautiful girl, originally from Tahiti, named Ngatokoruaimatauaia Frisbie Dawson (he called her "Nga" for short). They had a daughter, Jonelle, (born 1957) and a son, Hunter, (born 1958). In 1959, Adam came to Hollywood. He adopted the stage name "Adam West", which fit his roles, as he was in some westerns.



After seven years in Tinseltown, he achieved fame in his signature role as Bruce Wayne / Batman, on the wildly popular ABC-TV series Batman (1966) (though he has over 60 movie and over 80 television guest appearance credits, "Batman" is what the fans remember him for). The series, which lasted three seasons, made him not just nationally but internationally famous. The movie version, Batman hält die Welt in Atem (1966), earned Adam the "Most Promising New Star" award in 1967. The downside was that the "Batman" fame was partly responsible for ruining his marriage, and he was typecast and almost unemployable for a while after the series ended (he did nothing but personal appearances for two years).



In 1970, he met and then married Marcelle Tagand Lear, and picked up two stepchildren, Moya and Jill. In addition, they had two children of their own: Nina West in 1976 and Perrin in 1979. You can't keep a good actor down -- Adam's career took off again, and he appeared in 50 projects after that: movies, television movies and sometimes doing voices on television series. Adam wrote his autobiography "Back to the Batcave" (1994). One of his most prized possessions was a drawing of Batman by Bob Kane with the inscription "To my buddy, Adam, who breathed life into my pen and ink creation". Beginning in 2000, West made guest appearances on the animated series Family Guy (1999), on which he played Mayor Adam West, the lunatic mayor of Quahog, Rhode Island.



On June 9, 2017, Adam West died at age 88 after a brief battle with leukemia in Los Angeles, California. On June 15, 2017, Los Angeles shone the Bat-Signal on City Hall, and Walla Walla shone the bat-signal on the Whitman Tower, both as a tribute to West.

- IMDb Mini Biography By: kdhaisch@aol.com

Spouse (3)

Trade Mark (4)

Unmistakable deep smooth voice





His iconic role as Batman (1966)

His glasses.



Deadpan comic delivery



Trivia (65)



After playing the role of a resourceful secret agent in a Nestle's Quik commercial in the early 1960s, he caught the eye of ABC executives. The execs thought he might be right for an upcoming television series they were about to produce, Batman (1966).



West once appeared on Batman (1992) playing - of all things - an out-of-work actor who was unable to escape his identification with the role of a superhero he had played decades earlier, the Gray Ghost. Prior to this, West had supplied the voice of Batman on SuperFriends: The Legendary Super Powers Show (1984).



His former Batman (1966) co-star, Burt Ward , made a cameo appearance, voicing on an episode of Die Simpsons (1989), with him, in 2002. Eight years later, Ward would also make another cameo appearance with him, voicing on an episode of SpongeBob Schwammkopf (1999), in 2010.



Best-known by the public for his starring role in Batman (1966), West was actually the third actor to play Batman (although many credit him as the first, as the old serials are much more obscure than West's television series). He beat out two other actors, Lyle Waggoner and Ty Hardin , for the title role on Batman (1966). He was one of only three actors to appear in every episode of the original Batman (1966) series. Remained good friends with Burt Ward during and after the original Batman (1966) series. The costume worn by West is now a part of The Azarian Collection.

Was drafted into the United States Army for two years.



Began his career as a contract player for Warner Bros. Pictures in 1959. Before this, he worked as a radio disc jockey, where he founded a military television station where he garnered his knack for deadpan comedy.



Over his long life, he had 14 hobbies: fishing, sailing, hiking, skiing, spending time with his family, listening to classic rock music, golfing, traveling, riding motorcycles, reading, watching movies, swimming, surfing and dancing.



At Lakeside High School, West excelled in sports and served as school president of his 1946 graduating class. Graduated from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, where he played water polo, ran track, skied and swam. He graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Literature (minoring in Psychology) and was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He was also a member of the public speaking and debating team.



His father, Otto West Anderson (died 1984) was a farmer, his mother, Audrey Speer (died 1969) was a singer with a Christian musical group, The Speers. West was of Swedish ancestry on his father's side, and English, with small amounts of German, Irish, and Welsh from his mother's side. He was a farm boy until his parents' divorce when he was 15 years old. He, his mother and his younger brother, John, then relocated to Seattle.





His television series Batman (1966) was canceled after 2 1/2 seasons, not only because of low ratings, but because of the rising costs of the special effects and lighting. When ABC canceled the series, NBC was asked to run the show, however the set had already been dismantled.



After his 1956 divorce from his first wife, Billie Lou Yeager, he met Ngahra Frisbie, within months, while in Hawaii, and married her the following year. Met his third wife, Marcelle Lear , at a promotion for Learjets. While in his Batman (1966) costume, he posed with Learjet executive (and son of the founder) John Lear - who was married to her at the time. West had two stepchildren, Moya Lear and Jill Lear, by this marriage.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6764 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on April 5, 2012.



He was awarded a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars in Palm Springs, California on April 10, 2010.





His agent was Fred Wostbrock



Was screen tested for the role of Tracy Steele on Hawaiian Eye (1959), but lost the role to Anthony Eisley

While living in Hawaii, before becoming a successful actor, West took the role of sidekick on a local (Honolulu, Hawaii) children's television program, called (the) "El Kini Popo Show," which featured a chimpanzee. Eventually, West graduated from sidekick to star/host of the program.





Was considered for the role of Thomas Wayne in Batman (1989), but lost the role to David Baxt



His idols when he was very young were John Wayne and Burgess Meredith



Made nine guest appearances on Politically Incorrect (1993), which was hosted by Bill Maher , who was one of his lifelong fans.

Resided in Los Angeles, California for 30 years, from 1959 to 1989. Moved to Ketchum, Idaho in 1989.



Was a comic book buff, cowboy buff and movie buff.





Both West and Ernest Borgnine had roles on SpongeBob Schwammkopf (1999), Borgnine appeared as Mermaid Man from 1999 until his death in 2012, with West appearing as Young Mermaid Man in one episode in 2010, which also featured Borgnine.

Made an appearance at every San Diego Comic-Con International from 2007 to 2016.





Had guest-starred on an episode of Diagnose: Mord (1993), where Victoria Rowell 's character was copying one of his stuntwork, taken from Batman (1966), a series West starred in years earlier.

When he moved to Los Angeles to become an actor, he legally changed his name from William West Anderson to Adam West, as he felt his birth name was too long.



The January 6, 1971, issue of Variety, in the Italian Films in Production section, lists a movie starring Adam West, Claudine Auger, Giancarlo Giannini and Philippe Hersent called Cold Fury, directed by Bruno Gaburro, producer Franco Paolini, to begin filming January 18, 1971. No evidence the film was completed or released.





By mutual agreement, West was released from his contract at Warner Bros. (as did fellow actor James Garner , but over a contract dispute) in 1960, because they lost the studio's relationship with ABC, whose network didn't have enough shows that they aired before. He decided to move on.



After his role on Batman (1966), he was typecast and had trouble finding other roles, which halted his acting career.

On June 15, 2017, the city of Los Angeles, California shined the Bat-Signal on City Hall as a tribute to Adam West.



West was the tallest actor to play Bruce Wayne/Batman until 2013 when Ben Affleck, who is two inches taller, was cast in the role. West remains the only actor to play the role to be the same height (6'2") as the character of Bruce Wayne/Batman, according to DC Comics statistics.



Adam West was listed in the White Pages of Sun Valley, Idaho, with the notation, "See Wayne, Bruce (Millionaire)." The entry for "Wayne, Bruce (Millionaire)" in turn notes "Please consult Crime Fighters in the Yellow Pages." Listed in the Yellow Pages section for "Crime Fighters" is "Batman - see Wayne, Bruce".



He attended Walla Walla High School during his freshman and sophomore years and later enrolled in Lakeside High School in Seattle, Washington, where he graduated, there in 1946.





Met his third wife, Marcelle Lear, at a promotion for Learjets. While in his Batman (1966) costume, he posed with Learjet executive (and son of the founder) John Lear - who was married to her at the time.

In the 1970s, he was a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division.



When he was younger, he used to watch the Western movies, that led him to become an actor.





He was one of only three actors to appear in every episode of the original Batman (1966) series.

Before he was a successful actor, he worked as a radio disc jockey, where he founded a military television station where he garnered his knack for deadpan comedy.



Formerly a social butterfly, West was widely known to be a very private man.



Adam wanted to be an entertainer since he was a teenager, but also wanted to be a cowboy, as well.



Graduated from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, where he played water polo, ran track, skied and swam. He graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Literature (minoring in Psychology) and was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He was also a member of the public speaking and debating team.



He was cremated at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. His ashes were sprinkled into the Pacific Ocean afterwards.



He was a farm boy until his parents' divorce when he was 15 years old. He, his mother and his younger brother, John, then relocated to Seattle.



His father, Otto West Anderson, died on October 9, 1984. He lived to be 81.



His mother, Audrey Anderson, had passed away on July 31, 1969. She was 63.



The costume worn by West is now a part of The Azarian Collection.



West was actually the third actor to play Batman (although many credit him as the first, as the old serials are much more obscure than West's television series).





West first took Burt Ward under his wing, when the latter was only 20 years old. Their friendship lasted 51 years until West's own death, in 2017.

He also had five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.



He attended University of Puget Sound, only in the fall of 1949. He went back to Whitman College, several months later, before graduation.



Stepfather of Moya Lear and Jill Lear.



His father, Otto West Anderson, was a farmer, and his mother, Audrey (née Speer) Anderson, was an opera singer, a concert pianist and a vocalist with a Christian musical group, The Speers.



His parents, Otto and Audrey (née Speer) Anderson, were married in 1927. They had Adam, the following year.





Remained good friends with Burt Ward during and after the original Batman (1966) series.

Personal Quotes (31)

[on his typecasting as The Caped Crusader] It was inescapable. I'd just about land something substantial, something I like or a good career move. Then some dinosaur would rear up and say, "But the audience will think of him as Batman." It was formidable. It was there like a brick wall.





[on his disappointment with the direction Batman (1966) was taking, especially during its second and third seasons] "Batman" was an expensive show and it was losing money. I became extremely frustrated and unhappy and wanted out. There was nothing I could do to convince the producers or the studio to make improvements. I was just a hired hand. Eventually, I lost all interest because I felt the series was being neglected. They weren't spending the money they should have, and we weren't getting the scripts we deserved. I didn't want any part of this situation any more. I was tired of fighting for better shows. The program I wanted to do was no longer possible. But I hated to leave the character because Batman had been good to me.



[on his being passed over for Tim Burton 's 1989 Batman (1989)] I cried for an hour, but then I was okay. I wanted it! I don't know. I figured that's their business and they have a film in mind. I've already done it. I've done my Batman. Look, do you want the classic Coke or the new stuff? Maybe both. I do know that I'm disappointed not to have had a chance to play Batman, but they have their vision and I have mine.



I can't tell you how grateful I am to those fans. They are not stupid. I think they appreciate my sincerity and my work. Actors want to be loved. Batman (1966) has done that for me. I have an audience out there which is always waiting to see whatever I do. And new generations are constantly discovering me in reruns. So, as long as I stay sharp, good things can still happen for me. Meanwhile, I keep hoping that a wonderful opportunity will come along. Believe me, my life ain't so bad, after all.

Before I was limited to playing leads in low-budget movies. The series has given me the exposure - God knows - so that perhaps I would now be considered for important pictures, which is what I'm after.



[If he was worried about playing Batman]: I was worried at first. I was afraid that my own identity might be submerged in the trappings of a freak in tights. But then I realized I should be able to make the craze work to my advantage.



[When responded if he sat in the bar]: No, I'll sit at the bar. I don't want to be conspicuous.





[Of his Batman (1966) experience] Regardless of how rough the identity factor has made it to go on, looking at the balance sheet, I'm grateful for the Bat. It did more for me than against me. It gave [me] money, an international name, the kind of recognition that has allowed me to at least disprove what it caused. That may be tougher than starting from scratch, I don't know.

[In 1972] I think when you examine other careers, there's always a cooling-off period. They go on to other things, but there's a cooling-off period. You can't sit on your duff and wait for the phone of ring and someone say you're a star. You have to get out and work for it.



But of course, it's up to me to make whatever roles I play convincing and believable.



[about his career after being typecast as Batman] I was rushed into some not very good movies, and I just hit the beach and nursed my wounds for a while. Part of it was the dinosaurs of Hollywood went away, people who don't get it. I was certainly more welcome when the younger people came in.



[In 2003] That was a reference to Batman drinking the mickey in that first episode and him doing the Batusi. I'm always asked, "Do the Batusi!".



[In 1998] There's no Bat gadget better than a seat belt for safety.



[In 1966] Batman must be played with utter conviction. There is a line which I must follow, between satirizing the character and playing it dead-serious.



[on one of his hobbies] It's important to us. Wetumpka isn't considered a great golf school, but this would be a great way to go out. We've got some young guys who need to keep getting better.



[on returning to the role that made him famous] It's dramatized to an extent, but most of it really did happen. All good comedy is based on truth. Now they're saying we're a wonderful comedy team. What were we before?



Unless the thinking of the major producers has become senile, they can perceive that I'm not Batman.





[Who told spectators The Penguin was a villain on Batman (1966)]: Robin and I were in the middle of Thanksgiving dinner in the Batcave when we got word the Penguin might be in Houston so we rushed over.

[In 2010] I think it evolved. I learned a long time ago that because people love Batman, I should too. I learned that I shouldn't resent it even though it prevented me from getting other roles. I really had to become fond of Batman in order to deal with it. I embraced it.



[In 1989] Who can say it's a mistake, but I know from my mail, and I get thousands of letters from Batman fans, that they resent it.





[His thoughts on the effect Batman (1966) has had on his life] In a lot of people's mind, I AM Batman, and that's been kind of a two-edged sword.



[on wearing his costume on Batman (1966)] It brought me an occasional reward. The tights were itchy, and it was really, really hot. Believe me, it was 180 degrees under that cowl. But it was magic. I would pull it on and I would think, "Let's go out and play Batman & Robin!". It's the only way you could get at it, to be childlike and remember those times.



[on the frustrations in trying to break out of the "Batman" shadow] I'd go in to have meetings about different role that were more serious or substantial than what one might have considered Batman to have been. They would usually wind up saying, "Batman can't be in bed with Faye Dunaway .".

[In 1997] I could even wear my old tights, after getting all the mothballs out of it, and come back in the original Batmobile.



[In 1995] That typecasting is a mean, long-fanged yellow dog that grabbed my leg about three in the morning at least once a week. It was tough to deal with.



If you hang around long enough, they think you're good. It's either my tenacity or my stupidity, I'm not sure which.





[on some of his ideas for stories on Batman (1966)] My Bruce Wayne would have been romancing Catwoman with a brandy snifter full of milk. Then he would have said something silly, like "Man cannot live on milk alone.".

But I am simple in that I no longer feel the need to walk on a red carpet. I am a private person. I don't need a lot of company. And I find it really, really difficult to talk about myself.



[In 2005] Batman was comedy, let's face it. What I loved about Batman was his total lack of awareness when it came to his interaction with the outside world. He actually believed nobody could recognize him on the phone, when he was being Bruce Wayne, even though he made no attempt to disguise his voice.



When fans ask me for advice, here's what I tell them: "Remain an optimist."



If I pick up a telephone and make an international call, the operator knows my voice immediately, as does everybody else.



Salary (1)