R.I.P Agent 86

[Ladic]

Actor Don Adams Dies at 82

Don Adams, the comedic actor who won three consecutive Emmys for his role as Agent Maxwell Smart in the hit comedy series Get Smart, died yesterday in Los Angeles; he was 82. The actor died of a lung infection at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and had apparently been in ill health for the past year, after suffering a broken hip.

Adams began his Hollywood career after World War II, working as a stand-up comedian and writing and performing for television. Changing his last name from Yarmy to Adams, reportedly because he wanted to be called first and not last at auditions, the actor provided the voice of animated character Tennesee Tuxedo, and his numerous appearances on talk shows provided him with the opportunity to star in Get Smart. A spy spoof created after the surging popularity of the James Bond films, the show wasn't something that interested Adams initially, until he found out that Mel Brooks and Buck Henry had written the pilot. As the snappy but not-quite-intrepid secret agent Maxwell Smart, he was paired with the much smarter and much sexier Agent 99 (Barbara Feldon), and his standard line "Would you believe?!" became a national catchphrase; fans will also remember Smart's infamous "shoe phone" and the agency names CONTROL (the good guys) and KAOS (the bad guys). Adams became an instant star, and the show ran from 1965-1970, winning the Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy award in 1968 and 1969. Adams himself won three Emmys and received a fourth nomination. After the series ended, Adams continued to make numerous television appearances, and even starred in a Maxwell Smart movie, The Nude Bomb (1980), after the show became a hit in syndication. In the 80s, Adams also provided the lead voice for the popular animated series Inspector Gadget, which spawned another well-known phrase, "Go, go, Gadget!" After a failed attempt to revise the Get Smart show in 1995, Adams worked mainly offscreen, providing Inspector Gadget's voice and others for various animated shows.

Adams was married and divorced three times, and had a total of seven children from the three marriages. --Prepared by IMDb staff

http://www.imdb.com/news/flash/

I loved that show.

[EXO]

off to the great cone of silence in the sky!

RIP Mr. Adams...

now excuse me, my shoe is ringing...

[Hiriyu]

Damn. I hadn't heard about this yet. Missed it by that much.

RIP

[Skull Leader]

"Missed by THAT much!"

  -Maxwell Smart

"Would you believe a dog ate my shoe?"

  -Maxwell Smart

"Don't worry Chief, I'm ALWAYS on duty!"

  -Inspector Gadget

Thanks for the laughs, Don! Two of my favorite shows (both seen on Nickelodeon no less... one during the day, the other at night). You will be missed!

[Druna Skass]

Get Smart, that was a great show.

[Skippy438]

Why is Get Smart not on DVD??? I've been waiting for it for a long long time. Also, rumor has it Steve Carrell will be playing Max in a new Get Smart film.

[wolfx]

Get Smart....loved the show. Gosh....and I'm stupid to not draw the connection between Inspector Gadget and Maxwell Smart until I read the article.....

[ComicKaze]

Let's all take a moment in the cone of silence.

Edited September 27, 2005 by ComicKaze

[Mechleader]

What a good show! Damn will miss him!!!

[zeo-mare]

what a great show, he will be missed. i did not realize he died until i saw this thread.

chris

[Mechwarrior]

Funny guy in a great show, i musta seen the reruns a dozen times or more, funny everytime.

[Ignacio Ocamica]

Agreed, can't get tired of the reruns

[Renato]

Never knew Smart and Gadget were one and the same. They were both childhood icons of mine.

Rest in peace, Mr. Adams.

[nightmareB4macross]

Rest In Peace, Don Adams (Yarmy), Agent 86

You will be greatly missed.

Edited September 27, 2005 by nightmareB4macross

[BoBe-Patt]

R.I.P old friend. You kept me entertained during my summer vacations back in the day. You will truely be missed.