Don Adams
| Don Adams | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Donald James Yarmy April 13, 1923 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | September 25, 2005 (aged 82) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Lymphoma, lung infection |
| Occupation | Actor, comedian, director |
| Years active | 1954–2005 |
| Spouse(s) |
Adelaide Efantis (m. 1947; div. 1960) Dorothy Bracken (m. 1960; div. 1976) Judy Luciano (m. 1977; div. 1990) |
| Children | 7 |
Donald James Yarmy (April 13, 1923 – September 25, 2005), known professionally as Don Adams, was an American actor, comedian, and director. In his five decades on television, he was best known as Maxwell Smart (Agent 86) in the television situation comedy Get Smart (1965–70, 1995), which he also sometimes directed and wrote. Adams won three consecutive Emmy Awards for his portrayal of Smart (1967–69). He provided the voices for the animated series Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales (1963–66) and Inspector Gadget (1983–85, as well as several revivals and spinoffs in the 1990s).
Adams was born in Manhattan, son of William Yarmy, and his wife, Consuelo (Deiter). Adams and his brother Richard (who later became an actor, known as Dick Yarmy) were each raised in the religion of one parent: Don in the Roman Catholic faith of their mother, and Dick in the Jewish faith of their father.
Dropping out of New York City's DeWitt Clinton High School (comedian Larry Storch was a classmate), Adams worked as a theater usher.
During World War II, he joined the United States Marine Corps. Adams participated in the Battle of Guadalcanal in the Pacific Theater of Operations. His combat service was short-lived; from being shot in combat he contracted blackwater fever, a serious complication of malaria, known for a 90% rate of fatality. He was evacuated and then hospitalized for more than a year at a Navy hospital in Wellington, New Zealand. After his recovery, he served as a Marine drill instructor in the United States.
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