“Hand Me Down The Shark Repellent Bat Spray!” Revisiting Adam West’s Most Iconic Scene As Batman
Rest in peace.
Vale Adam West. The beloved actor, best known for playing Batman in the 1960s TV series and feature film, passed away on Friday at the age of 88 after a battle with leukemia.
“He was a beloved father, husband, grandfather, and great-grandfather,” said his family in a statement. “There are no words to describe how much we’ll miss him.”
West appeared in dozens of films and TV programs over the course of his more than 50 year career. Since 2000, he could be heard voicing a fictionalised version of himself in Family Guy. But he will always be most famous for his iconic take on the caped crusader.
Since news broke of West’s passing, a number of celebrities have taken to social media to pay tribute to the actor. Ben Affleck, who recently donned the cowl in Batman vs. Superman, thanked West for “showing us all how it’s done.”
Adam West exemplified heroism. Kind, funny and an all around great guy. Thank you for showing us all how it’s done. @therealadamwest
— Ben Affleck (@BenAffleck) June 10, 2017
Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane wrote that West was “a joy to work with”, adding that the actor would be “profoundly missed.”
— Seth MacFarlane (@SethMacFarlane) June 10, 2017
Mark Hamill, who voiced The Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, shared a photo of himself and West along with the caption “Adam West was such a wonderful actor and so kind.”
#AdamWest 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. pic.twitter.com/Bu0OOaRgX9
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) June 10, 2017
If you’ve never seen Batman: The Movie or any of the series, you are missing out on one of pop culture’s greatest joys. If nothing else, it takes a hell of an actor to utter the words “hand me down the shark repellent bat spray” with a straight face.
Rest in peace.