As Dunham suggests, West embodies not just the ambivalences of being associated with a signature TV role, but also the advantages.
For example, Will Dunham’s obituary notes that the actor’s identification with Batman also carried more positive connotations, meaning that the role “was both a blessing and a curse for him 3 ”.
However, whilst this comment is characteristic of a tendency to think of West’s career in terms of inertia, his interdependence with a specific role need not be understood as a uniformly limiting relationship. David echoes this, observing that the actor struggled after Batman ’s cancellation because he “found his career defined by the cape and cowl he once donned 2 ”. Writing after the actor’s death in June 2017, Javier E. Indeed, West represents an extreme example of a performer associated with a particular character, his career being largely defined by the effects of a single televisual part. 3 Will Dunham, “Adam West, TV’s campy Batman in 1960s series, dies at age 88”, Reuters, 2017 (.)ġ In his autobiography, Adam West writes that his strong connection with his starring role in Batman (ABC, 1966-1968) brought him “joy and heartache and frustration with many stops in between” 1.David, “Adam West, iconic ‘Batman’ of the 1960s, dies at 88”, CNBC, 2017, https: (.) 1 Adam West with Jeff Rovin, Back to the Batcave, London, Titan Books, 1994, p.Néanmoins, son image a acquis de nouvelles inflexions au fil du temps, de sorte que West incarne non seulement les inconvénients, mais aussi les avantages de l’association à un unique rôle. Par conséquent, l’association de l’acteur avec le rôle de Batman est restée l’aspect déterminant de sa célébrité. En dépit de sa popularité initiale, la série a été annulée après trois saisons et West n’a pu développer une carrière durable en tant qu’acteur de premier plan.
ADAM WEST BATMAN PLUS
Si son argumentation porte sur des formes de célébrités contemporaines, elle peut également être appliquée à des stars plus anciennes, notamment aux stars de la télévision américaine des années 1960 et 1970, qui étaient particulièrement susceptibles d’être associés à un rôle phare pour diverses raisons.Īccorder le statut de star à un acteur lié à un seul rôle permet de mettre en évidence une forme distincte de célébrité télévisuelle, que cet article explore à travers l’exemple archétypal d’Adam West, connu pour son rôle principal dans Batman (ABC, 1966-1968). À travers une analyse de l’image de Sarah Jessica Parker, Deborah Jermyn a questionné ce postulat, en suggérant notamment la nécessité de dépasser l’idée selon laquelle une « véritable star » doit s’illustrer dans une variété de rôles différents. Un paradigme théorique influent postule que la télévision diffère du cinéma parce qu’elle crée des personnalités plutôt que des stars. Therefore, West embodies not just the ambivalences of being associated with a signature TV role, but also the advantages. Nevertheless, his image acquired productive new inflections over time, especially once his screen persona amplified the ludicrousness he displayed as Batman. Despite its initial popularity, Batman was cancelled after three seasons and West was unable to develop a lasting career as a mainstream leading man, meaning that his signature role remained the defining aspect of his stardom. It evaluates Adam West, best known for his leading role on Batman (ABC, 1966-1968), as an archetypal example.
To argue this, this article proposes a new category of stardom, described by the term ‘signature role TV star’. In particular, American television stars of the 1960s and 1970s were likely to be defined by their connection to a flagship part, due to a variety of factors that helped cement such associations.īy theorising star status for someone linked with a single role, a distinct form of televisual fame comes into focus. However, though this is pertinent to contemporary figures, it is also relevant to those who came earlier. Conversely, Deborah Jermyn challenges prior theories through analysis of Sarah Jessica Parker’s image, suggesting that it may be time to revisit the notion that true stardom needs to be associated with a range of different roles. Influential theoretical paradigms posit that television is unlike cinema because it creates personalities rather than stars.
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