| # | Fact |
|---|
| 1 | Didn't study acting in college. |
| 2 | After his role on Batman (1966), he was severely typecasted, hence, he had trouble finding other roles, which halted his acting career, he also make money for whatever jobs he had to do. |
| 3 | His mother had no choice other than to abandon her own Hollywood dreams to care for her family. |
| 4 | By mutual agreement, West was released from his contract at Warner Bros. (as did fellow actor James Garner, but over a contract dispute) in 1960, because they lost the studio's relationship with ABC, whose network didn't have enough shows that they aired before. He decided to move on. |
| 5 | His real name was taken from a Western actor. |
| 6 | Of Swedish descent. |
| 7 | West is the only actor to portray Batman in both live-action and animated form. He played Batman onscreen in Batman (1966), Batman: The Movie (1966), and Legends of the Superheroes (1979). He voiced Batman in The New Adventures of Batman (1977), Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show (1984), and The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians (1985). |
| 8 | The Jan. 6, 1971, issue of Variety, in the Italian Films in Production section, lists a movie starring Adam West, Claudine Auger, Giancarlo Giannini, and Philippe Hersent called Cold Fury, directed by Bruno Gaburro, producer Franco Paolini, to begin filming Jan. 18, 1971. No evidence the film was completed or released. |
| 9 | In 1940, when young Adam was only 12, he found his own mother in bed with a local preacher. |
| 10 | He once pulled pranks on his mates, who then stole the school bus, once, to take a date for his prom, which eventually got him into a lot of trouble. |
| 11 | Surrogate grandfather of Lisa Ward and Melody Lane Ward (Burt Ward's daughters). |
| 12 | Was considered for the role of Popeye Doyle in The French Connection (1971). |
| 13 | Has a younger brother, John. |
| 14 | In his youth, he briefly lived in Sacramento, California. |
| 15 | His real name was taken from the first television cowboy. |
| 16 | Despite the feud with Burt Ward on the set of Batman (1966), West had fun with him. |
| 17 | Before he was a successful actor, he did everything from a custodian to a station manager at Stamford University. |
| 18 | Was a farm boy until his parents got divorced when West was 15, and he moved to Seattle, Washington with his mother and his brother John. |
| 19 | When he moved to Los Angeles to become an actor, he legally changed his name from William West Anderson to Adam West, this was because it was too long. |
| 20 | He had guest-starred on an episode of Diagnosis Murder (1993), where Victoria Rowell's character was copying one of his stuntwork, taken from Batman (1966), a series West starred in years earlier. |
| 21 | He was born on the same day, seventeen years later, as Randolph Mantooth. West guest-starred with him on Emergency! (1972). |
| 22 | Alongside Norman Lloyd, William Daniels, Dick Van Dyke, Ernest Borgnine, Mickey Rooney, Betty White, Angela Lansbury, Charlotte Rae, Marla Gibbs, William Shatner, Larry Hagman, Florence Henderson, Shirley Jones and Alan Alda, West is one of the few actors in Hollywood who lived into their 80s and/or 90s without ever either retiring from acting or having stopped getting work. |
| 23 | Lives not too far from Tom Hanks and Arnold Schwarzenegger. |
| 24 | The show that he didn't like was Super Friends (1973). |
| 25 | Owns a house in Palm Springs, California. |
| 26 | Became a grandfather in 2014. |
| 27 | He is most widely known to be a very private man. |
| 28 | Longtime friend of Ernest Borgnine. |
| 29 | He has played the same character (Doc Holliday) in three different series: Sugarfoot (1957), Colt .45 (1957) and Lawman (1958). |
| 30 | He was born exactly one day after his Batman(1966) Special Guest Villain Roddy McDowall. Both guest starred on Batman: The Animated Series(1992) as well. |
| 31 | He was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity at Whitman College, in his home town of Walla Walla, Washington, and where he was also a member of the public speaking and debating team. |
| 32 | Has made an appearance at every San Diego Comic-Con International beginning in 2007, up to and including 2014. |
| 33 | Both West and his long time friend, Ernest Borgnine had roles on SpongeBob SquarePants (1999), Borgnine appeared as Mermaid Man in 15 episodes, with West appearing as Young Mermaid Man in one episode in 2010, which also featured Borgnine. |
| 34 | Is a comic book buff, cowboy buff and movie buff. |
| 35 | Along with Roddy McDowall, Bob Hastings, Barry Dennen, Steve Franken, Michael Pataki and Judy Strangis, he is one of only seven actors to appear in both Batman (1966) and Batman: The Animated Series (1992). |
| 36 | Resided in Los Angeles, California for 30 years, from 1959 to 1989. Moved to Ketchum, Idaho in 1989. |
| 37 | Made 9 guest appearances on Politically Incorrect (1993), which was hosted by Bill Maher, who was one of his lifelong fans. |
| 38 | Began his television series Batman (1966) at age 37. |
| 39 | His idols when he was very young were John Wayne and Burgess Meredith. |
| 40 | The Batman costume worn by Adam West is now a part of The Azarian Collection. |
| 41 | Is the celebrity spokesperson for LendingTree and for Hebrew National Hot Dogs. |
| 42 | Acting mentor and friends with Burt Ward. |
| 43 | Was considered for the role of Thomas Wayne in Batman (1989), but lost the role to David Baxt. |
| 44 | While living in Hawaii, before becoming a successful actor, West took the role of sidekick on a local (Honolulu, Hawaii) children's television program, called (the) "El Kini Popo Show," which featured a chimpanzee. Eventually, West graduated from sidekick to star/host of the program. |
| 45 | Was screen tested for Tracy Steele in Hawaiian Eye (1959), but lost the role to Anthony Eisley. |
| 46 | His agent is Fred Wostbrock. |
| 47 | He was awarded a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars on April 10, 2010. |
| 48 | He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6764 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on April 5, 2012. |
| 49 | Has two stepchildren from Marcelle Lear's (previous) marriage to John Lear. |
| 50 | His father, Otto West Anderson, died in 1984. |
| 51 | Met his third wife, Marcelle Lear, at a promotion for Learjets. While in his Batman (1966) costume, he posed with Learjet executive (and son of the founder) John Lear - who was married to her at the time. |
| 52 | Depression ran in his family, like his mother, he too suffered from it. |
| 53 | Neighbors with his Batman (1966) three episode guest star, Van Williams, who portrayed the Green Hornet on Batman, before Williams was spun off into his own show, The Green Hornet (1966). West had recommended Williams to the producers for the Green Hornet guest role on Batman. |
| 54 | He starred in a 1991 NBC pilot, which was produced by Conan O'Brien, a huge Batman (1966) fan, but the pilot was not picked up by the network. |
| 55 | Overcame alcoholism in the 1970s. His mother was also an alcoholic. |
| 56 | Was a celebrity spokesperson for Nestle's Quik in 1965. |
| 57 | After his 1956 divorce from his first wife, Billie Lou Yeager, he met Ngahra Frisbiem, within months, while in Hawaii, and married her the following year. |
| 58 | He wanted to be an entertainer since he was a teenager. |
| 59 | His television series Batman (1966) was canceled after 2 1/2 seasons, not only because of low ratings, but because of the rising costs of the special effects and lighting. When ABC canceled the series, NBC was asked to run the show, however the set had already been dismantled. |
| 60 | Discussed the lead role in Diamonds Are Forever (1971) with Albert R. Broccoli. At the time, there were plans to reboot the franchise with an American Bond. West felt the role should be played by a British actor and ruled himself out of contention. |
| 61 | His father, Otto West Anderson was a charismatic farmer, his mother, Audrey Speer was a singer. |
| 62 | Was one of the three actors to appear in every episode of the original Batman (1966) series. |
| 63 | Before he was a successful actor, he also worked as an island tour guide. |
| 64 | Married his first wife, Billie Lou Yeager, when she was 17. |
| 65 | Before he was a successful actor, he also played water polo, ran track, skied and swam at Whitman College. |
| 66 | Attended and graduated from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington with a Bachelor's degree in Literature and a minor in Psychology. |
| 67 | At Lakeside High School, he excelled in sports and served as school president of his 1946 graduating class. |
| 68 | Hobbies include fishing, sailing, hiking, skiing, spending time with his family, listening to classic rock music, golfing, traveling, riding motorcycles, reading, watching movies, swimming, surfing and dancing. |
| 69 | Beat out two other actors, Lyle Waggoner and Ty Hardin, for the title role on Batman (1966). |
| 70 | Friends with: Robert Fuller, John Smith, James Drury, Doug McClure, James Best, Angie Dickinson, Alan Napier, Stafford Repp, James Garner, Brian Keith, Ernest Borgnine,Mickey Rooney, Robert Conrad, Florence Henderson, Carolyn Jones, Van Williams, Mario Van Peebles, Lorne Greene, Dick Clark, Casey Kasem, Yvonne Craig, Aaron Spelling, Abby Dalton, Ruta Lee, Chuck Connors, Jonathan Harris, Angela Cartwright, Bill Mumy, William Shatner, Beverly Garland, Clint Eastwood, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. and Madge Blake, along with the rest of the Batman (1966) cast: Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether, Burgess Meredith, Neil Hamilton, Frank Gorshin, Cesar Romero, Vincent Price, Victor Buono and Roddy McDowall. |
| 71 | Future comedians Conan O'Brien, Drew Carey, Bill Maher, Ross Shafer, radio disc jockey Howard Stern, The Simpsons (1989) Matt Groening, reality television show participant Lorenzo Lamas and weatherman/game show announcer Rich Fields, all said West was their childhood television hero. |
| 72 | Before he was a successful actor, he worked as a radio disc jockey, where he founded a military television station that his knack for deadpan comedy expanded. |
| 73 | Was drafted into the United States Army for two years. |
| 74 | Began his career as a contract player for Warner Bros. Pictures in 1959. |
| 75 | Attended and graduated from Lakeside High School in Seattle, Washington in 1946. |
| 76 | Moved with his mother and brother to Seattle, Washington when he was only 15, this was after his parents' divorce. |
| 77 | His mother, Audrey Speer, of the Christian musical group The Speers, died in 1969. |
| 78 | Father of Hunter Anderson, Jonelle S. Anderson, Nina West and Perrin West. |
| 79 | Remained good friends with Burt Ward during and after the original Batman (1966) series. |
| 80 | Best known by the public for his starring role as the title character of the television series Batman (1966). |
| 81 | His former Batman (1966) co-star, Burt Ward, made a cameo appearance, voicing on an episode of The Simpsons (1989), with him, in 2002. Eight years later, Ward would also make another cameo appearance with him, voicing on an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants (1999), in 2010. |
| 82 | He has two roles in common with Val Kilmer: (1) West played Doc Holliday in Sugarfoot (1957), Colt .45 (1957) and Lawman (1958) while Kilmer played him in Tombstone (1993) and (2) West played Batman / Bruce Wayne in Batman (1966), Batman: The Movie (1966), SuperFriends: The Legendary Super Powers Show (1984), The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians (1985), The New Adventures of Batman (1977) and Legends of the Superheroes (1979) while Kilmer played him in Batman Forever (1995). |
| 83 | Had his creative dentist add a little black Batman logo to one of his molars. |
| 84 | According to DC Comics statistics, Batman stands 6-foot-2. Of all the actors who have played Batman, West is believed to be the only one who stood the same height. |
| 85 | Is a member of the Beta Theta Pi Fraternity at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri. |
| 86 | Was the third actor to play Batman (though some may credit him as the first, as the old serials are much more obscure than West's television series Batman (1966)). |
| 87 | West once appeared on Batman: The Animated Series (1992) playing - of all things - an out-of-work actor who was unable to escape his identification with the role of a superhero he had played decades earlier, the Gray Ghost. Prior to this, West had supplied the voice of Batman on SuperFriends: The Legendary Super Powers Show (1984). |
| 88 | His daughter Nina West is the host of TV Land Real Estate (2002). She is also a model and has twice appeared with her father on Howard Stern's radio show. |
| 89 | After playing the role of a resourceful secret agent in a Nestle's Quik commercial in the early 1960s, he caught the eye of ABC executives. They figured that he might be right for an upcoming television series that was about to be produced, Batman (1966). The rest is history. |
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