Anecdotes

After playing the role of a resourceful hero named Captain Q in a Nestle's Quik commercial made in the early 1960s, he caught the eye of ABC executives. The execs thought that he might be right for an upcoming television series that they were about to produce, namely Batman (1966).

He discussed the role of James Bond in Au service secret de Sa Majesté (1969) with producer Albert R. Broccoli. West felt that the role should be played by a British actor and turned it down.

West made an appearance at every single San Diego Comic-Con International from 2007 to 2016.

He was considered for the role of Dr. Thomas Wayne (Bruce Wayne's father) in Batman (1989), which went to David Baxt instead.

He was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television at 6764 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on April 5, 2012.

He was drafted into the United States Army for two years.

The television series that made West a star, Batman (1966), was canceled after 2 1/2 seasons not only because of low ratings, but also because of the rising costs of the special effects and the lighting. When ABC canceled the series, NBC was asked to pick it up; however, the Batcave set had already been demolished by that time.

At Seattle's Lakeside High School, West excelled in both sports and drama and served as school president of his 1946 graduating class.

West once appeared in an episode of Batman: The Animated Series (1992) titled Beware the Gray Ghost (1992), playing - of all things - an out-of-work actor who was unable to escape his identification with the role of a superhero that he had played decades earlier, the Gray Ghost. Before this, West had done the voice of Batman both in the final two seasons of Super Friends (1973) and in Les Nouvelles Aventures de Batman (1977).

He was awarded a Golden Palm star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars in Palm Springs, California on April 10, 2010.

Adam West was the father of Hunter Anderson, Jonelle S. Anderson, Nina West and Perrin West. He also had five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

West's father, Otto West Anderson (died 1984), was a farmer and his mother, Audrey Speer (died 1969), was a singer with a Christian musical group named The Speers. He was of Swedish ancestry on his father's side and English ancestry with small amounts of Welsh, Irish and German on his mother's side. He was a farm boy until his parents' divorce when he was 15 years old. He, his mother and his younger brother John then relocated to Seattle, Washington.

After his death, West's hometown of Walla Walla, Washington officially celebrated its annual "Adam West Day" on September 19, with the first one celebrated in 2017.

West was the only actor to portray Batman in both live action and animated form. He portrayed Batman onscreen in Batman (1966), Batman le Film (1966), and Legends of the Superheroes (1979). He did the voice of Batman both in the final two seasons of Super Friends (1973) and in Les Nouvelles Aventures de Batman (1977).

He was considered for the role of "Popeye" Doyle in La filière française (1971), which went to Gene Hackman instead.

He was good friends with many members of the cast of both Batman (1966) and Batman le Film (1966): Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether, Frank Gorshin, Burgess Meredith, Cesar Romero, Vincent Price, Alan Napier, Stafford Repp, Victor Buono, Cliff Robertson, Neil Hamilton and Roddy McDowall.

He graduated from Whitman College in his hometown of Walla Walla, Washington.

The January 6, 1971 issue of "Variety", in the Italian Films in Production section, lists a film starring Adam West, Claudine Auger, Giancarlo Giannini and Philippe Hersent called "Cold Fury", produced by Franco Paolini and directed by Bruno Gaburro, to begin filming on January 18, 1971. No evidence exists that shows whether or not this film was completed, or even released for that matter.

He was cremated at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. His ashes were sprinkled into the Pacific Ocean. San Pedro's Neptune Society handled this service. His widow and children hosted a memorial service for him at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery's funeral chapel afterwards.

His agent was Fred Wostbrock.