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Adam West didn't have a super life before his superhero role in Batman
This story goes to show that every hero needs an origin story.
While you'd never know it because of his success in the iconic role, before he was Batman, Adam West didn't have the greatest luck.
As Batman, he was a guy with extraordinary powers and prowess. But, as Adam West, he struggled for many years to make a living for himself. When West took on the role of Batman in Batman '66, he had no idea what to expect. He couldn’t have known he was helping to build a legacy—not just for Batman, but for the many superheroes who would follow in TV and film.
According to a 1966 interview with The Macon News, Batman became a national sensation seemingly overnight. His show, which aired on ABC, was a hit, and with a one-two punch— or a boom! pow!— it started a trend in superheroes being depicted on TV.
"I had to make fun of the situation because I had been thinking, 'What am I doing here? What is Billy West Anderson doing here?'" West said.
Although unbelievable, he still kept his humor. In fact, it's one of the only things that got him through and kept him grounded.
"The trouble with wearing tights all the time is that you get to like them," West said. "After a day at the studio, you go home and begin looking for another pair of tights to wear."
Humor was much needed because, according to the interview, West grew up on a ranch, and his family often struggled to make it, as he did for several years in show business before becoming Batman.
"I grew up in a very real situation. On a ranch," West said. "It wasn't plush. As a kid, I helped haul water 30 miles by mule. I have knocked around in a lot of jobs. I have worked in canneries and with convicts. I have gone to finishing school. I was in the Army. And I had seven years of struggle in Hollywood. All that is a stabilizer."
With his success in Batman, you'd never know it. But the Caped Crusader’s past was a Holy origin story!
"During those seven years of struggle, sometimes I would lie in bed at night and say, 'I can't go in,'" West said. "But there is that underlying thing—a voice, a drive or faith... I don't know. I gave myself five years. I made a living, but it wasn't what I wanted. So I gave myself two more and it worked. Batman happened."
He said he planned a long future for himself as an actor and hoped to continue acting outside of Batman. Which he did, and did it well. Often becoming a fan favorite for guest appearances in other classic TV shows such as The Love Boat, Murder, She Wrote, Fantasy Island, and even voice roles in The Simpsons and Family Guy.
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