Batman Actor Adam West Dies Aged 88 After Leukaemia Battle, Family Says
ABC NEWS- Adam West, who earned a place in pop culture history with his campy portrayal of the title character in the classic 1960s TV series Batman, has died at age 88, his family said.
West died on Friday night after “a short but brave battle with leukaemia”, the family statement said.
“He was a beloved father, husband, grandfather, and great-grandfather. There are no words to describe how much we’ll miss him.”
The live-action Batman show, starring West along with Burt Ward as his sidekick Robin and a collection of colourful villains, was inspired by a long-running comic book series.
It ran only three seasons from 1966 to 1968 on the ABC network, but became a television phenomenon and cult classic. It also spawned a Batman feature film in 1966.
When West took on the tights, he stoked the stoicism for laughs: a superhero letting everyone know he was in on the joke.
“We were making overstated morality plays for children that adults could watch and enjoy,” West told the Los Angeles Times in a 2004 interview.
