Actor Adam West, best know for his turn as Batman in the classic television series in the ’60’s died on Friday according to his family. He was 89 years old. His family said that he lost his battle with leukemia.
Born William West Anderson in Walla Walla, Wash., the chisel-jawed West moved to Hollywood in 1959 and got his feet wet with Western TV series like “Bonanza” and “Overland Trail.”
West first donned the Batsuit in 1966, subduing bad guys such as Cesar Romero’s Joker, Vincent Price’s Egghead, and Burgess Meredith’s Penguin — and wooing a few too, such as Julie Newmar’s Catwoman.
The series lasted three seasons and enjoyed a long afterlife in syndication.
West later supplied the voice of Mayor Adam West, the oddball leader of Quahog, Rhode Island, on the animated series “Family Guy.”
“Family Guy has lost its mayor, and I have lost a friend,” the show’s creator, Seth MacFarlane, said on Twitter. “Adam West was a joy to work with, and the kind of guy you always wanted to be around. His positivity, good nature, and sense of fun were undeniable, and it was always a big jolt of the best kind of energy when he walked in to record the show. He knew comedy, and he knew humanity.
“I am beyond fortunate to have had the privilege of working with him, and he will be profoundly missed by all of us. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you have given, Mr. Mayor. You’re irreplaceable.”
