TV Batman actor Adam West dies at 88

Adam West, who stared as Bruce Wayne in the campy 1960s series Batman, died Friday night in Los Angeles. He was 88.

“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.

"He was a beloved father, husband, grandfather, and great-grandfather. There are no words to describe how much we'll miss him," West's family shared on his Facebook page. "We know you'll miss him too and we want you to know how much your love and support meant to him throughout the years." 

Adam West remained closely associated with the Batman character throughout his career

West's film television career spanned six decades, and the actor appeared in over 50 films and shows. Recently, he lent his voice to Family Guy as Mayor Adam West, and has been a guest star on The Big Bang Theory. 

In an episode of Batman: The Animated Series, West provided the voice for Simon Trent, an actor who portrayed a superhero called The Gray Ghost that a young Bruce Wayne idolized. When the older Wayne as Batman seeks his help to solve a crime, he finds Trent unemployed and short of money, unable to land new roles due to being typecast, something West experienced first hand. 

"There was a time when Batman really kept me from getting some pretty good roles," West said in an interview with Variety. 

West made his feature debut in Paul Newman's 1959 film The Young Philadelphians, where he played a wealthy Main Line husband who dies in a car wreck. He also starred in the 1965 comedy western The Outlaws Is Coming, the last feature film starring The Three Stooges.

West is survived by his wife Marcelle, six children, five grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren.