Batman is an iconic character, and Adam West brought the character to the masses when the “Batman” TV show debuted in 1966. Unfortunately the world has been forced to say goodbye to the one and only Adam West, as he has passed away at the age of 88 years old.
West had been battling leukemia, and he died Friday night in Los Angeles according to a family spokesperson. West is survived by his wife Marcelle, six children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, and according to a family spokesperson, the actor passed away peacefully while he was surrounded by his loved ones.
“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 said in a statement.
Adam West rose to fame thanks to the popularity of “Batman” and although the show was campy, its legacy has lived on. The role made West a star, but he noted several times later in his career that he felt he was typecast due to the campiness of the series which caused him to miss out on a lot of roles.
West struggled to find work at times, but his role as a recurring character on “Family Guy” helped to rejuvenate his career and bring him back into the public eye.
“I had done a pilot with Seth that he had written for me. It turned out we had the same kind of comic sensibilities and got along well,” West told IGN in 2012. “When Family Guy came around and Seth became brilliantly successful, he decided to call me and see what I was doing. He asked if I would like to come aboard as the mayor, and I thought it would be neat to do something sort of absurd and fun.”
Adam West was truly one of a kind and he will be missed.
May he rest in peace.
