Hollywood Reacts To The Loss Of Adam West

Adam West will always hold a special place in the heart of Batman fans.

As many of you know by now, Adam West passed away on Friday night. According to an official statement from his family, the 88-year-old acting legend was diagnosed with leukemia and succumbed to the disease after a short battle.

Upon hearing of his death, celebrities from all over have been paying their respects. This includes actors that had the privilege of working with West, those that got to meet him, and also those that never worked or met him but grew up idolizing him as the spirited and captivating Caped Crusader on the 1960s Batman television series — like many of us did — and/or dying with laughter whenever his zany, kooky mayor of Quahog appeared on Family Guy.

NEXT: Burt Ward Comments On The Death Of Batman’s Adam West

Let’s begin with Kevin Smith. The geek icon and host of the Fat Man On Batman podcast perfectly encapsulated how many of us feel on this very sad day. “Oh Batman my Batman! I’m standing on my chair to honor [Adam West] – the man whose portrayal of costumed justice made me wanna be a good person when I was a boy,” Smith wrote. “The [Adam West’ Batman] was my first Batman at age 4. His performance was campy to most, but to me, that’s how true heroes spoke. A lifelong love of the character started with Mr. West’s interpretation of what he called, instead of the Dark Knight, the Bright Knight. He brought joy to a somber character and a Fatherly tone to a TV role model. I was lucky enough to meet Adam many times, including the day at [Stan Lee Comic Con] when super-fan [Ralph Garman] and I hosted Adam, Boy Wonder [Burt Ward] and movie Catwoman [Lee Merriweather] (where we took this pic). He was pure love and joy. He remained my hero, even in adulthood, as well as a real life role model for interacting with fans. Adam loved his fans – especially #ralphgarman, who worked tirelessly to get Adam a star on the [Hollywood Walk of Fame]. Farewell, Caped Crusader. Off to Superhero Heaven you go, where all your rascally rogues are ready to see you again! Atomic batteries to power. Turbines to speed. Heart to broken.”

DC Extended Family

Having worked with West on the animated television series Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Star Wars icon Mark Hamill wrote, “[Adam West] was such a wonderful actor & so kind, I’m so lucky to have worked w/ him & tell him how much he meant to me & millions of fans.”

John Barrowman, who portrayed Malcolm Meryln on The CW’s Arrow, remembered West for giving him something to look forward as a child once school let out: “[Adam West,] my after school hours were filled with excitement watching you battle fantastic…”

Harley Quinn and Family Guy voice actor Tara Strong expressed her sorrow: “My heart is broken. He was SUCH a nice guy… [Adam West] will live on forever in so many ways. Sending love to his family.”

Comic book legend Neil Gaiman penned, “Rest in Peace Adam West. We met once in 1987 and I was too embarrassed and too foolishly ‘cool’ to tell you what you meant to my childhood.”

Quintessential Batman voice actor, Kevin Conroy, had this to say: “Adam West has passed. The Batman of my childhood. He brought us so much entertainment and was a truly class act. We’ll miss u Ada.”

Other Celebrities

Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz director, Edgar Wright, let the world know who his favorite Batman actor of all-time is. “Farewell Adam West. You were MY Batman,” he tweeted. “Such a super funny, cool, charismatic actor. Loved the show as a kid, still love the show now. POW!”

Silicon Valley star Kumail Nanjiani complimented West’s acting skills: “RIP Adam West. First person I saw who was funny, badass & cool all at once.”

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