Adam West Biography

Adam West, who is now, believe it or not, getting close to eighty years old, is easily most known and loved for his dual role as Batman and Bruce Wayne on the old but popular TV series Batman back in the 1960s, and recently for voicing the slightly deranged Family Guy character of Mayor Adam West although his extensive filmography spans more than fifty years.Adam West (birth name William West Anderson) was born on September 19, 1928, in Walla Walla, Washington, where he also later attended Whitman College, graduating with a BA in literature and psychology. West moved on to become a Stanford University student and graduate, and then married in 1950, to Billi Lou Yeager, who was just seventeen at the time, after which West served two years in the U.S. Army and then traveled Europe with his young wife.West broke into the competitive world of acting with a sidekick role on The Kini Popo Show, a children's program on which he later became the star. After moving to West Hollywood in 1959, West played the supporting role of William Lawrence III in The Young Philadelphians, which starred Paul Newman. From 1959 until 1964, West almost exclusively dedicated his time as an actor to taking guest-starring roles on many popular TV series at the time (mostly Westerns), including Bronco; 77 Sunset Strip; Maverick, with James Garner; Hawaiian Eye; Goodyear Theatre, starring Robert Ryan, Jack Lemmon, David Niven; Bonanza, with Lorne Greene and Michael Landon; The Beachcomber; Perry Mason; Gunsmoke; and Bewitched, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, David White, Dick York, and Agnes Moorehead.In 1964, West took the role of Col. Dan McReady on Robinson Crusoe on Mars. West's breakthrough role, however, came in 1966 when producer William Dozier cast him as Batman/Bruce Wayne in what became an incredibly popular TV series, Batman. A film version, in which West also starred, was also released in 1966, but the series only ran until 1968, although two episodes aired per week. West's co-stars on the show included Burt Ward, Alan Napier, Neil Hamilton, Stafford Repp, Madge Blake, and Yvonne Craig. The movie version contained many of the same characters, with the addition of Lee Meriwether as Catwoman, Cesar Romero, Burgess Meredith, and Frank Gorshin.Although West reportedly found himself typecast as Batman during this time, he still went on to voice Batman in a significant number of animated programs. In 1979, West again portrayed Batman in the physical form in the TV special Legends of the Superheroes.West did also branch out to play other non-Batman roles during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, including CIA agent/nightclub owner Johnny Cain in The Girl Who Knew Too Much in 1969, with Nancy Kwan; and The Happy Hooker Goes to Hollywood in 1980. West also went on to expand his television acting credits, with guest appearances in hit shows like Emergency!; Laverne Shirley, starring Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams; Aaron Spelling's The Love Boat; and Murder She Wrote, with Angela Lansbury.Into the 1990s, West continued to appear in both film and television, including an appearance in Lois Clark, starring Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher. In 1999, West made an appearance as himself in Drop Dead Gorgeous, starring Kirsten Dunst, Ellen Barkin, Allison Janney, Denise Richards, Kirstie Alley, and Brittany Murphy.Most recently, however, West has become famous for his post-Batman voice-over work on popular animated series, including The Simpsons, Kim Possible, The Fairly OddParents, and Johnny Bravo. His most famous voice-over work is as the crazy mayor, Adam West (a parody of himself), on the adults-only animated program Family Guy. Family Guy also includes the voice talents of Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Seth Green, and Mila Kunis, from That 70s Show.