Actor Adam West, who was known by millions around the world as Batman, has passed away at the age of 88 after a fight with leukemia.
The Walla Walla, Washington native had small roles in the films The Young Philadelphians, The Outlaws Is Coming, and Soldier in the Rain before landing the lead role of the Caped Crusader. The TV series, which lasted 120 episodes, made him a household name. Upon hearing the news of his death, Batman co-star Burt Ward, who played Robin, told Variety, “Adam and I had a special friendship for more than 50 years. We shared some of the most fun times of our lives together.”
While it was a bit rough to find work after Batman ended, West made the transition into voice acting with roles on The Secret Files of the Spy Dogs, The Fairly OddParents, and The Critic. He lent his voice to several Batman cartoons, including the iconic Batman: The Animated Series.
His biggest voice role was Mayor Adam West in the hit Fox cartoon Family Guy. Lasting over 100 episodes, the stint brought the star new fans in a new generation. Family Guy co-star Seth Green told Variety, “He’s generous and always classy. Very sad to think of the world without our beloved Mayor. How lucky we are he left so much behind.”
He recently returned to his iconic Batman character with the 2016 animated movie Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders, which also includes Batman co-stars Burt Ward and Julie Newmar. His final work is Batman vs. Two-Face, and it will be released later this year.
West was a frequent guest at major comic book and sci-fi conventions, such as San Diego Comic Con, who will honor the late star at their upcoming event. He leaves behind his wife Marcelle Tagand Lear and four children.
