{"id":474,"date":"2016-07-14T18:29:14","date_gmt":"2016-07-14T18:29:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rmwhittaker.com\/?p=474"},"modified":"2017-06-10T18:25:50","modified_gmt":"2017-06-10T18:25:50","slug":"interview-adam-west-2011","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rmwhittaker.com\/index.php\/2016\/07\/14\/interview-adam-west-2011\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview: Adam West (2011)"},"content":{"rendered":"

What\u2019s the difference between being typecast and becoming a pop culture icon? For Adam West, it all comes down to a knowing wink to the audience. In 1966 he went from bit-part actor in TV shows and spaghetti westerns to getting a dream role: To bring a four-color version of DC\u2019s Batman<\/em> to TV. It\u2019s hard to overestimate the show\u2019s impact on pop culture and on West. The producers cranked out 120 episodes and one 90 minute film of knockabout dayglo fun in under three years, creating catchphrases that resonate with people who have never seen the show and boxing West into a niche as campy, hammy actor. It\u2019s been almost 46 years since the Batman<\/em> film got its world premier, and it seems that West has finally made peace with the role that defined his career. Now the circle is complete: Instead of him being associated with Batman, Batman stands in his shadow as he has become the ultimate post-modern film star. \u00a0\u201cThe movie has withstood the test of time,\u201d he said, \u201cAnd so have I.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Richard Whittaker<\/em><\/strong>: Between the film, the original series, and cameos in cartoons, Batman has been part of your life for four decades. How did you get the part?<\/em><\/p>\n

Adam West<\/strong>: I’d been in Europe doing some films (including The Relentless Four<\/em>) after doing a series (The Detectives<\/em>) here with the late Robert Taylor for NBC. Before I left, I did a series of commercials for Nestl\u00e9 in which I did sort of a James Bond spoof. I found out late that the producers at Fox and ABC had seen those commercials, and evidently I impressed them in so far as they thought, “Hey, this is the turkey to play Batman.” I think they liked my sense of humor. You might too, if you get to know me.<\/p>\n

RW<\/em><\/strong>: You worked with an extraordinary cast including Burgess Meredith and Cesar Romero, who had a major career prior to the show as a screen heart throb. Add Eartha Kitt, Julie Newmar and Lee Meriweather in as your succession of Catwomen, and that\u2019s quite an ensemble.<\/em><\/p>\n

AW<\/strong>: I was very fortunate. The trick is always to make it look easy, which is difficult unless you have really good people who know what they\u2019re doing and are able to give you something. Then you must always be unselfish and give them something. So it\u2019s an interplay, like a good tennis match.<\/p>\n

RW<\/em><\/strong>: You made 120 episodes plus the film in a little under three years. That\u2019s quite a work rate.<\/em><\/p>\n

AW<\/strong>: We were lucky if we got seven days per episode. One time, we got ten days, but other than that it was five, six days. The movie we did in the thirty days during the hiatus period after the first series. I didn\u2019t want to do it, because I really needed the rest, but when they mentioned the money, I said, \u201cOf course.\u201d I\u2019ve got the Mitchum attitude: You bring in what you can, you do the best work that you can, you try to bring the something fresh and serve the writer, but then you say, \u201cSend the damn cheque.\u201d You can\u2019t do anything else once you\u2019ve done that, because it\u2019s all in someone else\u2019s hands.<\/p>\n

RW<\/em><\/strong>:<\/em> What was life like on the set?<\/em><\/p>\n

AW<\/strong>: It was usually an extremely friendly and humorous environment, and I tried to make it that way when I walked in \u2013 light and fun \u2013so nobody would take it seriously, just perform seriously. Everyone understood what it was, and when I first read the pilot script by Lorenzo Semple Jr., I knew in talking to the others that we were all going to get married and have the same kind of approach, which is a blessing.<\/p>\n