E3 2012: Adam West Talks Family Guy’s Road from TV Series to Video Game

on June 7 | in Family Guy Online, News & Press | by | with Comments Off

The iconic actor discusses how Family Guy has made the translation to a MMORPG and the continuing legacy of his performance as Batman.

Among the giant video screens, cool displays and brand new footage on hand at E3 yesterday was a living legend – Batman himself, Adam West.

West was at E3 to promote Family Guy Online, in which he reprises his role from the uber-successful animated series as “Mayor West,” who provides crucial guidance throughout the game.

Joined by Matt Fowler, I spoke to West about Family Guy Online, the ongoing success of Family Guy in general, whether Batman will finally make it to DVD and what he thought of Nicolas Cage’s homage to his performance as the Caped Crusader in Kick-Ass.

IGN: Welcome to the madness at E3 here.

Adam West: Yes, yes. Thank you. It’s good of you to show up.

IGN: No problem. When I heard you were here, I had to show up.

West: That’s nice!

IGN: Family Guy has had such a surprisingly long life. It went away for a while, it came back. At this point, when you heard that they were going to do a video game and they wanted you to basically be the voice of the video game, do you go, “Okay, nothing surprises me with Family Guy at this point”?

West: I think you said it very well for me. [Laughs] You really did, because that’s the truth of it. Family Guy is so absurd and so much fun for me. I did another one today, and I look forward to it. Seth [MacFarlane] is a good friend, and I think he’s a genius. To go further and do this game is terrific, because as the mayor of Quahog I can certainly be directive with the players and give them the clues to experience this wonderful game and have fun.

IGN: I’ve talked to some actors who have done video games, and it is interesting because you have to think about all of these different possibilities, the things that the player will encounter, and you’re just saying so many things out of context. Did you experience the same thing?

West: Yes, I did. That in a real sense goes along with the personality of the mayor of Quahog, because it’s the unearthly absurd. But the game takes it to another level, and then Family Guy becomes kind of intellectual. It becomes almost like a Rubik’s Cube. [Laughs] But I don’t think it’s perplexing. We try to make it pretty simple to get into and to learn how to play, but there is some expertise that one develops along the way, like with all games. With this, of course, the one playing the game has a chance to enter our world in Quahog and to become a member of our little family. It’s very touching. I can hardly talk about it without weeping.

IGN: [Laughs] Well, I feel like it speaks to the success; That the thinking is, fans would say, “Yeah, I want to be in that town. I want to run around and interact with these characters.” What do you think it is that’s sort of struck that chord?

West: Besides me?

IGN: [Laughs] Besides you, of course.

West: Well, yes, it’s the work of so many talented people. The writers and the people who work with Seth — I almost feel that Seth has given me a rebirth with the voiceover stuff. I did some before, yeah, for years. But I’ve never done something that magnifies the quirkiness of my own personality as much as this, and people really took to it. I’m not afraid to make fun of myself.

IGN: Do you remember getting that call from him to be on the show? How was it pitched to you?

West: Well, it was mysterious. Seth said, “Would you come in and try this? I’d sure like to have you on the show.” It took no persuasion because when I read it I thought it was just fall-down funny and then I would have a chance to make some fun of myself and to magnify aspects of my own personality in the sense of the ridiculous and the irony in the world. It is kind of social satire.

read the complete interview 

via ign.com by Eric Goldman

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