Don Adams, the actor best known as Maxwell Smart on the classic spy spoof TV series Get Smart, died from a lung infection in Los Angeles, Calif. on Sept. 25. With his distinctive inflection and sharp wit, Adams was a natural for cartoon work, lending his voice to the title character in DIC’s long-running Inspector Gadget, among others.
After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps in WWII, Adams worked as a stand-up comedian before landing roles on TV. He voiced the title role in the 1963 cartoon series Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales, reprising the role for 1964’s Underdog. He also voiced the role of Comet in Rankin & Bass’ enduring 1964 animated holiday special, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, before going on to write, direct and star in Get Smart, which earned him three Emmy Awards. The live-action James Bond send-up originally ran from 1965 to 1970 and was revived twice in the ’80s and ’90s.
The Maxwell Smart character served as inspiration for Adams’ Inspector Gadget, which he voiced through its various incarnations from 1983 to 1999. During that time, he also voiced the role of Principal Hickey in the 1997 series Disney’s Pepper Ann. Adams is survived by seven children from three marriages. He was 82 years old.
