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Legendary actor Adam West, known best for his role as television’s Batman, has died. He was 88 years old. West had been married three times and was a father of four, and he also had two step children.
In 1950, West married his college girlfriend Billie Lou Yeager. The two divorced after six years together. A year later, he married Nga Frisbie Dawson, The two had two children together, Jonelle Anderson and Hunter Anderson. West and Dawson separated in 1962. He married his third wife, Marcelle Lear, in 1970, and the couple had two children, Perrin West and Nina West.
His family released the following statement:
“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.”
He is survived by six children, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Here is what you need to know:
1. West’s First Born Was Jonelle Anderson
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West’s first-born daughter, Jonelle Anderson, has worked in the movie industry, but not as an actor. She has worked behind-the-scenes on a few films in the 2000s. In 2003, Jonelle worked as a production assistant on the film, The Italian Job. In 2005, she landed a role as a stunt double in the film The Ring Two. She went back to being a production assistant in 2006 for the film Flicka, and again in 2007 for A Plumm Summer. She was also a stunt double in the latter.
2. West & Dawson Welcomed a Son Named Hunter Before They Split in 1962
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Hunter Anderson has done some work in the movie business in the field of special effects. According to his IMDb page, he has worked on three films. In 1991, he worked as a purchasing agent in the film F/X2. In 1993, he was part of the crew for the movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III. And, in 1996, Hunter worked in special effects for the film, The Rock.
3. West Married Lear & Welcomed Nina in 1976
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In 1999, Nina West appeared in the E! True Hollywood Story, Adam West: Batman Unmasked, a non-fiction television series documentary about her dad. One year later, she took part in Adam West: Behind the Cowl, another television documentary. In 2002, she hosted the TV movie documentary, TV Land Real Estate. In 2006, she was in another television documentary about her dad called Living In TV Land. In 2013, Nina appeared in her most recent documentary called Starring Adam West.
Perhaps following in her father’s footsteps, albeit slightly, Nina starred in the 2003 television movie Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt.
Nina has also worked as a model and has joined her father on Howard Stern’s radio show twice. She currently serves as the chief marketing officer for High Wide & Handsome, an advertising agency in California.
Nina married filmmaker James Tooley, the executive producer of Kings Of Atlantis. The couple has one child together.
4. West’s Son, Perrin, Was Born in 1979
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Perhaps the most private of West’s kids, Perrin West is the only one without a public biography or an IMDb page. In a 2011 interview, Perrin talked about his dad. You can see what he had to say below.
“I think what surprises people most is how nice and approachable he is. He occupies this superhero or superhuman position in some people’s imaginations. I’ve seen people literally shaking with nerves before meeting him, but then in reality he turns out to be the ‘guy you’d like to have a beer with’ – albeit an exceptionally funny guy to have a beer with. He played Batman, but he’s really more the Joker. He always comes up with the perfect hilarious off-kilter icebreaker that instantly disarms people. It continues to surprise and amaze me too, how well he can get along with anybody, no matter who they are or what their background is,” he said.
5. West Also Had 2 Step Children
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West became a stepfather when he married Lear. She has two daughters, Moya Tagand Lear and Jill Tagand Lear, from a previous relationship.
