Don Adams used his past roles to build upon his role in Get Smart
Don Adams loved playing his role as secret agent Maxwell Smart on the 1965 series Get Smart. Over the five seasons the show was on air, Adams became one with his character, and his real-life cleverness and personality often came through on TV.
Before his big break on Get Smart, Adams spent years in burlesque clubs and small venues before being invited to larger clubs and landing small roles on shows like Perry Como and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
According to a 1965 interview with The Arizona Republic, he had been working on his comedy style for some time with his club appearances and small roles across classic TV. Once he joined Get Smart, he was able to put his cleverness to the test.
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"After all those years spent facing audiences I have developed an innate sense of comedy timing," Adams said. "I know how lines should flow. I can look at a line and know what to do with it."
He used his background in comedy as a tool to help him build Get Smart. Adams considered Maxwell Smart to be smarter than most heroes, including his previous role as Detective Glick on The Bill Dana Show.
His character was a parody of the suave, smooth-talking spies of the time. While it was a parody, he still had to be witty and clever in his actions. After all, he was a "secret" spy. Although he was quite bumbling and lacked the skills, Smart was just smart enough.
"I'm clever enough on this series to have a beautiful brainy assistant in Secret Agent 99, Miss Barbara Feldon," Adams said.
He turned his crafty intellect on Saturday nights to the American people. While most actors would be afraid to have a show on air on a Saturday night due to stiff competition, he believed his audience was just as smart as his character.
"Kids and elderly people stay home Saturday night and so do the hippies who may like our show," Adams said. "Why? Because Saturday night is such a rotten night to go out on the town. You stand in line for everything. And I can't stand to stand in line. My wife, Dorothy, and I never go out on a Saturday night."
He wanted to spread the idea that it was smart to stay home on a Saturday night just to see Smart in action.
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