Donald James Yarmy

 Donald James Yarmy (April 13, 1923 – September 25, 2005), known professionally as Don Adams.

In his five decades on television, he was best known as Maxwell Smart (Agent 86) in the television situation comedy Get Smart (1965–70, 1995), which he also sometimes directed and wrote. Adams won three consecutive Emmy Awards for his portrayal of Smart (1967–69). He provided the voices for the animated series Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales (1963–66) and Inspector Gadget (1983–85; as well as several revivals and spinoffs in the 1990s). Get Smart was actually written for Tom Poston, to be piloted on ABC; when ABC turned it down, the show was picked up by NBC, which cast Adams in the role because he was already under contract. When Get Smart debuted in 1965, it was an immediate hit. Barbara Feldon co-starred as Max's young and attractive partner (later wife), Agent 99, where she had a great chemistry with Adams throughout the show's run, despite a 10-year age difference, and they became best friends during and after. Although the two were married "on screen", they were never married to each other. Adams' efforts after Get Smart were less successful, including the comedy series The Partners (1971–72), a game show called Don Adams' Screen Test (1975–76) and three attempts to revive the Get Smart series in the 1980s. His movie, The Nude Bomb, was unsuccessful at the box-office. Adams had been typecast as Maxwell Smart and was unable to escape the image, though he did have success as the voice of Inspector Gadget. Don Adams died on September 25, 2005, age 82, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. He suffered from lymphoma and a lung infection. Don Adams is buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.