Burt Ward (born Bert John Gervis Jr. July 6, 1945) is best known for his work as Robin, the "Boy Wonder", in the 1960s television series, Batman. He starred alongside Adam West from 1966 to 1968.

Ward was born in Los Angeles, California. At the age of 2, he was listed in the magazine Strange as it Seems as the world's youngest professional ice skater. At the age of 19, working for a minor real estate company, he decided to audition for the part of Robin, without having ever read a "Batman" comic book. Ward was selected for the role of Robin, stepping onto the screen in 1966 with the debut of Batman. Unfortunately, unlike his partner, Ward was required to act during dangerous stuntwork because his costume revealed more of his face than a stuntman could compensate for.

After the end of Batman, Ward found himself hard-pressed for other acting jobs. Ward only reemerged on the movie scene to act in small, low-budget films such as Virgin High. Ward admitted in an interview that playing Robin "killed my career." Ward also claims that he had to turn down the Dustin Hoffman part in The Graduate because of his Batman contract. He did, however, appear in numerous reunions with co-star Adam West. The most memorable reunions included Ward and West reprising their roles as Batman and Robin on a short-lived animated television series called The New Adventures of Batman and the 2003 television movie The Misadventures of Adam and Burt.

Ward also wrote a book called My Life in Tights, which described his life while he was playing Robin. In 2001, Ward began Boy Wonder Visual Effects, Inc.

Currently, in addition to managing the aforementioned corporation, Burt Ward is married to Tracy Posner Ward, has two daughters, and runs a charity that sells Great Danes and other dogs. It has been discussed in publications including People, ASPCA Animal Watch,ASPCA Animal Watch: Canine Crusader Pet Life, Dog World, etc. It has been seen on TV shows including Visiting with Huell Howser, 1-800 Save A Pet, Adoption Tales, Pet Story, Amazing Tales, Super Heroes; Where Are They Now?, Woof! It's a Dog's Life, Hard Copy, Inside Edition, and Entertainment Tonight.Gentle Giants Rescue and Adoption: We're on TV! Burt and Tracy Ward have previously sued a newspaper and several individuals for defamation over criticism of their dog rescue operation. Both suits were dismissed under the California Anti-SLAPP law.

Trivia

• Burt Ward (a.k.a. Bert John Gervis Jr.) decided upon his professional surname by using his mother's maiden name. He subsituted the e with the u in his first name to add more of a "punch."
• At the height of the Batman popularity, Ward recorded a series of tracks under the production of Frank Zappa. The first two, "Boy Wonder, I Love You" (which Zappa wrote) and "Orange Colored Sky" were released as a single on November 14, 1966. Two other tracks from these sessions, "Teenage Bill of Rights" and "Autumn Love," remained unreleased.^*

References