How Adam West Really Felt About His Guest Role On Big Bang Theory

"The Big Bang Theory" played host to countless guest stars during its 12-season run, from Stan Lee to Stephen Hawking to Mark Hamill. Iconic figures from pop culture and science alike flocked to Chuck Lorre's series to hang out with Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) and his bright but socially inept friends, including Batman himself, the late great Adam West, who debuted on television as the Dark Knight in 1966.

In an interview from February 2016 — just over a year before West's death in the summer of 2017 — West spoke to Scott Huver at Variety about his appearance as himself on "The Big Bang Theory." When asked if he enjoyed his guest spot, West said, "It's fun for me because I enjoy staying fresh and seeing what's in the heads and the talent of younger people. And it makes me a little cooler. But the main thing is to be able to do a very popular show with the kind of comedy that I enjoy."

As Huver pointed out, West always displayed excellent comedic timing — and the actor also said that he was quite aware that sitcoms operate on their own rhythm, which he picked up quickly: "But I've been able to pick up the rhythms and really adapt them to my kind of speech pattern with what they want me to play. Because I'm playing myself, which is the most difficult of all the roles."

As a veteran performer, Adam West had certainly showed off his comedic versatility before showing up on "The Big Bang Theory" — look no further than his long-term tenure on "Family Guy." Because of this, Scott Huver saw fit to ask what "version" of West he brought to the sitcom. "You're getting the kind of semi-goofy, quirky guy who likes to insult some of the people who've already done Batman," West quipped. "And it's part of the script and the fun that I get the chance to insult some very big stars."

Huver and West also discussed the fact that "The Big Bang Theory" saved West's appearance for a special occasion — the episode in which West appears happens to mark the show's 200th episode as well as an anniversary for West himself. Unfortunately, this made West think the show sort of forgot about him. When the actor was asked how he felt about celebrating that milestone, he replied, "Oh, I think it's a great tribute. It's wonderful. For years, I thought, oh, they're just ignoring me. They don't want me around. And then I find out that they waited for the 200th anniversary show, knowing, I think, too that it's Batman's 50th anniversary."

Adam West appears in Season 9, Episode 17 of "The Big Bang Theory," titled "The Celebration Experimentation" — which focuses on Sheldon's 36th birthday. After some traumatic experiences as a kid, including one where he told all of his friends that Batman would come to his birthday party, Sheldon reacts pretty terribly when confronted with an outpouring of support and love from his friends. His girlfriend, Amy Farrah-Fowler (Mayim Bialik), and best friend, Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki), both try to comfort him when he hides in the bathroom, but ultimately, it's Penny (Kaley Cuoco) who gets him to join the party.

So, where does Adam West factor in? Well, he's there to fulfill Sheldon's childhood dream of Batman attending his birthday party, but he's pretty unfocused. He calls Sheldon "Sherman," asks if he's still getting paid when Sheldon goes to hide in the bathroom and keeps complaining about other actors who played Batman (pointing out that while other performers needed muscles built into their costumes, his muscles were "100% pure, grade-A West").

West isn't the only pop culture icon to show up on "The Big Bang Theory," but he certainly made his mark. Fans can experience his hilarious outing and the series in its entirety on Max.