Adam West, TV’s ‘Batman,’ Dead at 88

Legendary actor Adam West died Friday night after a battle with leukemia. He was 88.

West’s most prominent role was as the titular character in the live-action, Batman series from 1966 through 1968. He enjoyed a newfound level of popularity by voicing a fictionalized version of himself on the Fox animated series Family Guy.

The ABC series ran for three seasons, and was both panned and praised by critics and fans alike for its campy tone, which ran counter to Bob Kane’s original version of Batman. The show was nominated for an Emmy Award for outstanding comedy series in its initial year, but eventually lost out to The Dick Van Dyke Show.

“Some years ago I made an agreement with Batman,” West told Variety in a previous interview. “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.”

Seth MacFarlane, creator of Family Guy, shared a touching tribute to West on Twitter, which you can read below.

“RIP Adam West,” tweeted Silicon Valley actor Kumail Nanjiani. “First person I saw who was funny, badass & cool all at once.”

Other celebs, such as Guns N' Roses guitarist Saul “Slash” Hudson and Antonio Sabáto Jr. also offered their condolensces via social media platforms.

“Really saddened to hear of Adam West's passing,” Hudson wrote. “We will miss you a lot.”

“Amazing man, class act & mentor one of the nicest people ever, you will be missed,” Sabáto added. 

Jaden Smith wrote:

Members of West's family also confirmed the news via West's official Twitter account with a brief statement.

"Our beloved AW passed away last night. He was the greatest. We'll miss him like crazy. We know you'll miss him too," the statement read.

West is survived by his wife Marcelle, six children, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.