Actor Adam West was best known for his role in the 1960s ABC series "Batman" and soared high in the small screens for years. He was also known for his voice role in "Family Guy," "The Fairly OddParents" and "The Simpsons" as a fictional version of himself. Throughout his years on TV, fans learned to love him. On Friday, the famous actor died after a battle with leukemia.
Adam West is a hero
The actor’s family issued a statement about his passing and said that he did his best to inspire everyone. “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,” his family wrote. West had broad acting roles at the height of his career, but he was popularly known for his role in "Batman" as Bruce Wayne, and his alter ego.
His career spanned seven decades, where he also starred in some films, including "Geronimo" in 1962 and "The Three Stooges in The Outlaws Is Coming" in 1965. The actor was born to a farmer father and an opera singer mother, whom he was inspired to go to Hollywood after he graduated. He became a disc jockey in the American Forces Network when he was drafted into the U.S. Army. He then worked as a milkman after he was discharged and moved to Hawaii to try the television career.
He is a TV legend and was loved by everyone
Adam West had different acting careers throughout his years on the television, but his role in "Batman" was his best performance of a lifetime. The series was a surprise hit when it debuted in 1966 on ABC and became a virtual symbol in the 1960s. It was incredibly known worldwide and earned an overwhelming fan base.
It even came to the point that the network had to air the series twice a week.
However, West had a hard time in commissioning other roles as he became very associated with his role as Bruce Wayne and his alter ego. Nonetheless, he appeared in "The Big Bang Theory" in February 2016 during the 200th episode of the CBS sitcom.
It was when the series celebrated the 50th anniversary of "Batman." His friends said that people adored him for being charming and for being available to them all the time.
One of West’s long time friends, Julie Newmar said that the "Batman" actor connected with all of his fans personally and he was always there when needed. She said that he had this wit that makes everyone to be positive about everything despite the weariness they feel.
"Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane is also saddened by his passing and said that the series might have lost its mayor, but for him, he lost a friend. West was survived by his wife, six children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was 88.
