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Adam West, Who Played 1960s-Era Batman, Dies At 88

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Adam West, whose straight-faced portrayal of Batman in a 1960s TV series lifted the tight-clad Caped Crusader into the national consciousness, has died at age 88, his family said Saturday on a verified Facebook page.

West died Friday night after "a short but brave battle with leukemia," the family statement said.

2016 New York Comic Con - Day 1
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 06: Adam West attends the Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders Press Room at New York Comic-Con - Day 1 at Jacob Javits Center on October 6, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

West played the superhero straight for kids and funny for adults. He initially chaffed at being typecast after "Batman" went off the air after three seasons, but in later years he admitted he was pleased to have had a role in kicking off a big-budget film franchise by showing the character's wide appeal.

"You get terribly typecast playing a character like that," he told The Associated Press in a 2014 interview.

"But in the overall, I'm delighted because my character became iconic and has opened a lot of doors in other ways, too." He returned to the role in an episode of the animated "The Simpsons."

Batman & Robin
American actors Burt Ward (left), as Robin, and Adam West, as Batman, ride in the Batmobile in a still from the television series, 'Batman,' c. 1967. (Photo by 20th Century Fox/Courtesy of Getty Images)

And more recently, he did the voice of nutty Mayor Adam West in the long-running "Family Guy" series.

In April 2012, West received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Born William West Anderson in Walla Walla, Washington, he moved to Seattle at age 15 with his mother after his parents divorced.

He graduated from Whitman College, a private liberal arts school, in Walla Walla.

Adam West
July 1966: American actor Adam West who plays Batman in the television series devoted to the comic book hero. (Photo by Keystone Features/Getty Images)

After serving in the Army, he went to Hollywood and changed his name to Adam West, and began appearing on a number of television series, including "Bonanza," ''Perry Mason" and "Bewitched."

He was married three times, and had six children. He had homes in Los Angeles and Palm Springs, but he and his wife, Marcelle, spent most of their time at their ranch near Sun Valley, Idaho.

(TM and © Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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