R.I.P. Maxwell Smart

[KittyDuran]

Didn't know he was that old...

'Get Smart' Star Don Adams Dies

POSTED: 3:03 pm EDT September 26, 2005
UPDATED: 3:17 pm EDT September 26, 2005

LOS ANGELES -- Comedian Don Adams is dead at 82.

The wry-voiced comedian starred as the fumbling secret agent Maxwell Smart in the 1960s television spoof of James Bond movies, "Get Smart."

His friend and former agent, Bruce Tufeld, said Adams died of a lung infection Sunday night at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Tufeld said the actor broke his hip a year ago and had been in ill health.

As the inept Agent 86 of the super-secret federal agency C.O.N.T.R.O.L., Adams captured television viewers with his antics in combatting the evil agents of C.H.A.O.S.

When his explanations failed to convince the villains or his boss, he tried another tack: "Would you believe …?" It became a national catchphrase.

"Get Smart" twice won the Emmy for Best Comedy Series with three Emmys for Adams as Best Comedy Actor.

Adams married and divorced three times and had seven children.

He also served as the voice for the popular cartoon series, "Inspector Gadget." In 1980, he appeared as Maxwell Smart in a feature movie, "The Nude Bomb," about a madman whose bomb destroyed people's clothing.

[Blimpie]

Much like the recent passing of Gilligan...I am embarrassed to say that I thought he was dead YEARS ago. "Get Smart" was a great show and Don Adams had incredible comedic timing. God bless.

[KronoRed]

RIP..I didn't think he was that old

[Chip R]

Looks like K.A.O.S finally got him. RIP, Don.

[KittyDuran]

Burbank on WLW mentioned that he was also the voice of Inspector Gadget (which I knew) and Tennessee Tuxedo (which I DIDN'T know).

[GAC]

And before Get Smart he was the voice of Tennesee Tuxedo

[Unassisted]

I remember loving "Get Smart" as a kid when it was on the network and in daytime reruns. I didn't see it again for 20-some years until Nick at Nite ran it in the 90's, and by then I wondered what I ever saw in it. I'm a sucker for old sitcoms, too, but IMO that one just didn't age well over the years.

It was definitely unique, though. And Don Adams created a persona, voice and delivery that was a staple for impressionists for over a decade after the show ran. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

[zombie-a-go-go]

Would you believe...?

Ah, man, this sucks.

RIP 86.