Burt Ward

Actor Burt Ward rose from obscurity to the height of pop culture celebrity in the mid-1960s as Robin, the Boy Wonder on "Batman" (ABC, 1966-68). His lack of experienced served the golly-gee nature of the role perfectly, and for three years, he and co-star Adam West, who played the Dark Knight, were the toast of television. After the show's cancellation, he entered the twilight world reserved for stars who dimmed as quickly as they shone: an endless cycle of low-budget movies and convention appearances, often in costume. For his part, Ward took the reversal of fortune in stride, mining his past success for all it was worth. In doing so, he preserved a degree of immortality for an aging but nevertheless faithful following.