Don Adams
Biography
Don Adams was an American actor whose five decades of television work made him famous as the clumsy secret agent Maxwell Smart. Born in Manhattan and a former theater usher, he won a 1954 talent contest with a stand-up routine, then appeared on The Steve Allen Show and The Perry Como Show and played a bumbling hotel detective on The Bill Dana Show. Get Smart arrived in 1965 and became a hit, bringing him three Emmy Awards and chances to direct and write for the series. He later voiced Tennessee Tuxedo and Inspector Gadget. His screen credits included The Nude Bomb (1980), an appearance in Back to the Beach (1987), and Get Smart, Again! (1989). He played Maxwell Smart once more in a 1995 revival that lasted seven episodes, and he died in 2005.
82years old at death
- Born Manhattan
- Died Beverly Hills
- Star sign: AriesThe sign runs March 21 to April 19
- Donald James Yarmy (birth name)
Movie Career
- Films
- 4
- Career span
- 13 years1976 to 1989
Every film, newest first
- 1989Get Smart, Again!IMDb rating 6.1
- 1987Back to the BeachIMDb rating 6.0
- 1980The Nude BombIMDb rating 5.1
- 1976JoysIMDb rating 6.8
Genres
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Getting ready for a role
Adams borrowed a clipped way of speaking from the actor William Powell and gave that style to the character he played.
First role
In 1954, Adams won on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, performing a stand-up comedy act that his boyhood friend Bill Dana had written for him.
Don Adams movies on Netflix
Worked with
Don Adams made one film with each of them. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Kenneth Mars's page
Billy Barty's page
Bob Hope's page
John de Lancie's page
Vittorio Gassman's page
Lori Loughlin's page
Lyndall HobbsDirector, 1 film, 1987
All films by Lyndall Hobbs
Clive DonnerDirector, 1 film, 1980
All films by Clive Donner
All films by Gary Nelson
Awards
Nine awards and honors from 1967 to 1969, three of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emmy Awards | |||
| 1969 | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series | Get Smart | Won |
| 1968 | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series | Get Smart | Won |
| 1967 | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series | Get Smart | Won |
| Other honors | |||
| American Campaign Medal | Won | ||
| Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal | Won | ||
| Combat Action Ribbon | Won | ||
| Good Conduct Medal | Won | ||
| Purple Heart | Won | ||
| World War II Victory Medal | Won | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.