1960s icon and television personality Adam West lost his battle with leukemia on Friday night. The 88-year old rose to fame as the original ABC series Batman from 1966-68 before going on to partake in no less than 61 motion pictures between 1957 and 2017.
West's family issued a statement to Variety informing the public about the news.
“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.”
The performer would later be known for his voiceover work on Family Guy, playing a fictional version of himself in the form of Mayor West.
World Loses Another Kind and Comedic Genius in 2017
— Seth MacFarlane (@SethMacFarlane) June 10, 2017
With a long and heartfelt message by his colleague Seth MacFarlane, more tributes flowed on social media.
Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker James Gun:
"Although I haven't often talked about it, before I could barely read, YOU were the reason I fell in love with superheroes. #RIPAdamWest."
Star Trek icon George Takei:
"RIP Adam West. You'll always be Batman to me."
Hollywood actress Jamie Lee Curtis:
"Holy heartbreak Batman. Adam West was a big part of my childhood. We were acquaintances in my adulthood. A wonderful man who will b missed."
Star Wars own Mark Hamill:
"#AdamWest was such a wonderful actor & so kind, I'm so lucky to have worked w/ him & tell him how much he meant to me & millions of fans."
Batman Forever's Val Kilmer:
"Ah dear Adam West. He was always so kind when we met. A real gent. Once when I was a kid we found ourselves in front the batmobile. I got in."
So sad to hear about the passing of Adam West. Such a huge loss today. He was a legend. The greatest Batman of all time. #AdamWest pic.twitter.com/DBBnyNcK57
— StephenGlickman (@StephenGlickman) June 10, 2017
West: Money Brought Me Into Batman, The Comedy Made Me Stay
What made Adam West such a loveable character was his sense of humor and brutal honesty. Asked about what drew him to the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman for the 60s series by Variety, he did not make any reservations.
“Money," he replied. "Some years ago I made an agreement with Batman. There was a time when Batman really kept me from getting some pretty good roles, and I was asked to do what I figured were important features. However, Batman was there, and very few people would take a chance on me walking on to the screen. And they’d be taking people away from the story. So I decided that since so many people love Batman, I might as well love it too. Why not? So I began to reengage myself with Batman. And I saw the comedy. I saw the love people had for it, and I just embraced it.”
Source: Variety
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