The famed star of the Batman TV series, Adam West, rekindled his fame as an actor in the family guy animated series playing a campy version of himself. From Bruce Wayne to Mayor Adam West, this American actor brings an interesting perspective to each episode in which he acts. Whether signing photos or providing commentary on a DVD, the man from Walla Walla, Washington is famous.
Out of Walla Walla
Adam West was born in 1928 in Seattle, Washington. His given name was William West Anderson from parents Otto Anderson and Audrey Speer. West has one younger brother named John. During his high school career, he attended both Walla Walla and Lakeside Schools. He attended Whitman College and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Literature and a minor in Psychology. His tenure at school also included a membership with the Beta Theta Pi fraternity and participation on both the debate and speech teams.
Adam West and the Chimpanzee
West's acting career began in the late 1950s. He moved to Hollywood and changed his name to “Adam West.” Some of his first work was in motion pictures for Warner Bros. Including Paul Newman's The Young Philadelphians. West also stared in a number of Westerns including portraying Wild Bill Hickok in Overland Trail. He made appearances on The Detectives, The Outer Limits and Johnny Midnight. For a brief period, he traveled to Hawaii, where he landed a role in children's program El Kini Popo Show. He worked as a sidekick to the main actor for a brief period before taking on the lead starring opposite a chimpanzee.
During the mid-1960s, he focused heavily on his motion picture career. He worked with Steve McQueen and Jackie Gleason in Soldier in the Rain. West also found success in comedies like Robinson Crusoe on Mars and The Outlaws Is Coming, the final film of the Three Stooges.
Batman and Beyond
In 1966, West was given an opportunity to portray the character that would change his life forever – Batman. Producer William Dozer saw a commercial West did for Nestle Quik in which he portrayed Captain Q. The actor took up the role of both the Caped Crusader and his alter ego, Bruce Wayne, in the fall lineup. The show was a huge success and even prompted a film version later in the year. Known for its campy presentation of the crime fighter and his sidekick, Robin, the show ran for three years and launched a spin-off, The Green Hornet.
Following his performance on the show, West faced years of typecasting. He appeared in numerous movies and television shows both in roles and as himself. Some of the more popular appearances include The Happy Hooker Goes to Hollywood and Hooper. Unfortunately, much of the 1970s and early 1980s, were highlighted by Adam West making a living doing personal appearances and signing autographs. He also did voice over work as “Batman” in a number of cartoon shows.
Mayor Adam West on Family Guy
After the release of Tim Burton's Batman film in 1989, West found himself in favor with Hollywood once again. He received many roles for acting jobs on sitcoms and even more voice over work.
Starting in 2000, West gained a new generation of fans with his portrayal of Mayor Adam West in Family Guy. He plays an over-the-top version of himself as a psychotic mayor of a small town. This garnered him much attention and helped West reclaim his fandom.
Jason Chavis - Jason lives and works out of Minneapolis. He is the author of four books, two movies and a play as well as numerous articles for a variety ...
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