Comic book movies and TV shows now can use computer-generated elements and cool visual effects to generate their setpieces. However, back in the days of Batman '66, everyone had to rely on good, old-fashioned stunt work. This made the classic and campy Caped Crusader series incredibly dangerous to film, and as Robin actor Burt Ward recently explained in an interview, portraying the Boy Wonder landed him in the hospital several times. Ward said:
It was a very dangerous show to make. I was in the emergency hospital the first four of the six days of filming. [I had] second-degree burns, my nose [got] broken by a two-by-four landing on it from explosions. Let me tell you something, it was a lot of fun, it's really very simple. It was a fantastic show to do, everything was as great doing as you see it on television. The only two horrible things: It was very dangerous and [I had] a costume that was not a lot of fun to wear.
So, Burt Ward makes it seem like acting on Batman '66 was not all dancing and craft services. The show put him through the physical wringer during his time as Robin, and he ended up with numerous burns, broken bones, and other injuries. That said, it sounds like he has nothing bad to say about his experience; he just took a thorough beating while making it (in addition to wearing a less-than-ideal costume).
These remarks to SYFY WIRE are not the first time that Burt Ward has opened up about the dangers of portraying Dick Grayson alongside the late Adam West's Batman back in the classic series. In fact, during an appearance at LA Cookie Con last year, the actor similarly explained how the first four days of his time on the Batman set landed him in the emergency room.
When we put these stories together, we are just glad to know that Burt Ward survived the making of Batman all those years ago. Now he has moved on from portraying Robin in live-action (though he has joked about reprising the role as the new Robin for the DCEU) and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales actor Brenton Thwaites will take on the part of Dick Grayson in the DC streaming service's upcoming Titans series. If you ask this writer, Burt Ward has definitely earned his reprieve from the pain of portraying Batman's red-clad sidekick.
Stay tuned for more updates related to anything and everything in the DC TV realm. Moreover, you can also take a look at our midseason premiere guide to see what else Hollywood has in store for the small screen spring schedule!
