Adam West, who starred as Batman on the “Batman” TV series from 1966 to 1968, died over the weekend. He was 88 years old.
West died Friday night at his house after battling leukemia, a family spokesman told The Hollywood Reporter.
West’s career was short-lived, as he felt the force of typcasting from his Batman role, The Hollywood Reporter said. Some, though, feel he might have been the best Batman ever.
But West, who died surrounded by family members, always joked about his caped-crusader role, and he voiced his own character on “Family Guy.”
“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,” his family said in a statement.
Here are some of West’s best quotes that show his joking and lighthearted nature. All quotes come from IMDB.com and the International Business Times.
On his appreciation of fans:
“I can't tell you how grateful I am to those fans. They are not stupid. I think they appreciate my sincerity and my work. Actors want to be loved. Batman (1966) has done that for me. I have an audience out there which is always waiting to see whatever I do. And new generations are constantly discovering me in reruns. So, as long as I stay sharp, good things can still happen for me. Meanwhile, I keep hoping that a wonderful opportunity will come along. Believe me, my life ain't so bad, after all.” (IMDB)
“I think it's that wherever I go, people are so nice to me, and they come up by the hundreds, and they say nice, funny things. As an actor, I just like to make people happy, make them laugh. That's our job, to entertain, and if I'm entertaining you folks, then I'm happy.” (IBT)
On future roles:
“Before I was limited to playing leads in low-budget movies. The series has given me the exposure — God knows — so that perhaps I would now be considered for important pictures, which is what I'm after.” (IMDB)
On Batman:
“I learned a long time ago that because people love Batman, I should too. I learned that I shouldn't resent it even though it prevented me from getting other roles. I really had to become fond of Batman in order to deal with it. I embraced it.” (IMDB)
“Batman was comedy, let's face it. What I loved about Batman was his total lack of awareness when it came to his interaction with the outside world. He actually believed nobody could recognize him on the phone, when he was being Bruce Wayne, even though he made no attempt to disguise his voice.” (IMDB)
On typecasting:
“That typecasting is a mean, long-fanged yellow dog that grabbed my leg about three in the morning at least once a week. It was tough to deal with.” (IMDB)
On fame:
“But I am simple in that I no longer feel the need to walk on a red carpet. I am a private person. I don't need a lot of company. And I find it really, really difficult to talk about myself.” (IMDB)
On family:
“I've always tried to fit what I do professionally into my family, rather than the other way around.” (IBT)
On dreams:
“Of what use is a dream if not a blueprint for courageous action.” (IBT)
On life:
“Anything that triggers good memories can't be all bad.” (IBT)