Adam West was one of The Big Bang Theory's most memorable guest stars, and there's a fascinating story of how he ended up appearing in the sitcom. Running for 12 seasons, the CBS series saw a string of cameos that ranges from actual astronauts and scientists to big-name actors. Iconic Batman TV actor Adam West is among the many names on that list, and was actually The Big Bang Theory's special guest star for their 200th episode.
In The Big Bang Theory season 9, episode 17 ("The Celebration Experimentation") the Pasadena gang came together for Sheldon's (Jim Parsons) birthday party. Despite being surrounded by his closest friends, the socially-inept genius wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea. Apparently, he was scarred by a childhood experience where he was promised that Batman would attend his birthday party, only to realize that he had been duped. To make up for it, Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and the rest of his pals arranged for West, who played Batman in the 1960s series, to attend Sheldon's gathering to make him feel better. Luckily, the prolific actor accepted the invitation as his appearance pretty much made Sheldon's party.
When West appeared on The Big Bang Theory, he was already 87. He wasn't new to playing himself on TV for guest appearances, but this particular instance felt different. In an interview with Variety, West said that it was a wonderful experience since it was more of a tribute to him and his legacy, specifically as Batman. Incidentally, his The Big Bang Theory guest role in 2016 coincided with the 50th anniversary of the classic Batman series. Between the show being produced by Warner Bros. and its geek-centric nature, it was the perfect opportunity for promotion by bringing West into the series. Meanwhile, The Big Bang Theory cast couldn't be happier working with the legend. In the same interview, Galecki called West his "hero", as he grew up watching the Batman series from the '60s.
West's appearance on The Big Bang Theory stands out for a couple of reasons. Unlike other high-profile guests, he actually had quite a significant role in the episode. Typically, cameos in the show were brief, only having interactions with some of the cast members. But before he could even arrive at Apartment 4A for Sheldon's party, West already had great interactions with Leonard, Raj (Kunal Nayyar), and Howard (Simon Helberg) in the car. Granted that he was supposedly paid for his appearance and that he didn't remember Sheldon's name after the gathering, it was still a treat to see him bantering with the characters. Sometimes, high profile The Big Bang Theory guests who played themselves were depicted as snooty, which made for great comedy but left the cast looking desperate for their attention.
Before he physically appeared on the sitcom, West was already mentioned in The Big Bang Theory season 3 when the boys found a box full of props from iconic shows and movies. They claimed that they saw him walking into a garage sale, but Penny (Kaley Cuoco) couldn't be bothered by the potential sighting. The year following Adam West's appearance in The Big Bang Theory's 200th episode, the legendary actor died at age 88 years old, after a short battle with Leukemia.