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Donald James Yarmy, known professionally as Don Adams, was an American actor, comedian and director. In his five decades on television, he was best known as Maxwell Smart in the television situation comedy Get Smart, which he also sometimes directed and wrote. Adams won three consecutive Emmy Awards for his performance in the series (1967–69). Adams also provided the voices for the animated series Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales (1963–66) and Inspector Gadget (1983–86) as well as several revivals and spinoffs of the latter in the 1990s.
Birth Name
Donald James Yarmy
Born
Friday, 13 April 1923
Died
Sunday, 25 September 2005
Actor Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| History of the Sitcom | Maxwell Smart | 2021 |
| Janis: Little Girl Blue | Self | 2015 |
| The Sixties | Maxwell Smart | 2013 |
| TV's Western Heroes | (voice) (archive footage) | 2013 |
| Hit Celebrity TV Commercials | Self - for A-1 Seasoning Sauce and Aurora Skittles | 2004 |
| Inspector Gadget: Gadget's Greatest Gadgets | Inspector Gadget (segments "The Capeman Cometh" / "Prince of the Gypsies" / "Gadget's Gadgets") | 1999 |
| Inspector Gadget | Brain / Brain (voice) | 1999 |
| Pepper Ann | Principal Hickey / Principal Herbert Hickey | 1997 |
| Gadget Boy's Adventures in History | Gadget Boy | 1997 |
| Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher | Principal | 1996 |
Actor Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| History of the Sitcom | Maxwell Smart | 2021 |
| Janis: Little Girl Blue | Self | 2015 |
| The Sixties | Maxwell Smart | 2013 |
| TV's Western Heroes | (voice) (archive footage) | 2013 |
| Hit Celebrity TV Commercials | Self - for A-1 Seasoning Sauce and Aurora Skittles | 2004 |
| Inspector Gadget: Gadget's Greatest Gadgets | Inspector Gadget (segments "The Capeman Cometh" / "Prince of the Gypsies" / "Gadget's Gadgets") | 1999 |
| Inspector Gadget | Brain / Brain (voice) | 1999 |
| Pepper Ann | Principal Hickey / Principal Herbert Hickey | 1997 |
| Gadget Boy's Adventures in History | Gadget Boy | 1997 |
| Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher | Principal | 1996 |
| Gadget Boy and Heather | Gadget Boy | 1995 |
| Get Smart | Chief Maxwell Smart | 1995 |
| The First Annual Comedy Hall of Fame | Self | 1993 |
| Inspector Gadget Saves Christmas | Inspector Gadget (voice) / Inspector Gadget | 1992 |
| Get Smart, Again! | Maxwell Smart | 1989 |
| Bloopers Galore | Self | 1989 |
| Empty Nest | Don Adams | 1988 |
| Back to the Beach | Harbor Master | 1987 |
| Bloopermania | Self | 1987 |
| Check It Out | Howard Bannister | 1985 |
| Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers | Self | 1985 |
| Foul-Ups, Bleeps & Blunders | Himself - Guest | 1984 |
| Inspector Gadget | Gadget / Robo Gadget | 1983 |
| Jimmy the Kid | Harry Walker | 1982 |
| Two Top Bananas | Self | 1982 |
| An Evening at the Improv | Self - Host | 1982 |
| The Fall Guy | Sheriff | 1981 |
| Murder Can Hurt You! | Narrator (voice) / Narrator | 1980 |
| The Nude Bomb | Maxwell Smart | 1980 |
| Billy | Self | 1979 |
| The Comedy Shop | Self | 1978 |
| The Love Boat | Lenny Camen / Sam Corey / Sidney Williams / Walter Love / William Robinson | 1977 |
| The Fantastic Journey | Air Port Announcer | 1977 |
| Fantasy Island | Cornelius Wieselfarber | 1977 |
| Rickles | Self | 1975 |
| Sammy and Company | Self | 1975 |
| Dinah! | Self | 1974 |
| Bicentennial Minutes | Self - Narrator | 1974 |
| Match Game | Himself - Panelist | 1973 |
| NBC Follies | Self | 1973 |
| Don Rickles: Alive and Kicking | Self | 1972 |
| Wait Till Your Father Gets Home | Don Gibson Jr. | 1972 |
| The New Scooby-Doo Movies | Don Adams | 1972 |
| The Partners | Det. Lennie Crooke | 1971 |
| The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour | Self | 1971 |
| Flip | Self | 1970 |
| The Many Sides of Don Rickles | Self | 1970 |
| Pat Paulsen's Half a Comedy Hour | Dolf Clem | 1970 |
| The Andy Williams Show | Self | 1969 |
| The David Frost Show | Self - Guest | 1969 |
| Playboy After Dark | Self | 1969 |
| The Don Rickles Show | Self | 1968 |
| The Rosey Grier Show | Self | 1968 |
| It's Happening | Self | 1968 |
| The Carol Burnett Show | Self | 1967 |
| The Danny Thomas Hour | Harry | 1967 |
| Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In | Self / Thomas Jefferson | 1967 |
| Personality | Self | 1967 |
| The Sammy Davis, Jr. Show | Self | 1966 |
| Get Smart | Maxwell Smart / Maxwell Smart, CONTROL Agent 86 / King Charles of Coronia / Floyd Darrow | 1965 |
| The Dean Martin Show | Self | 1965 |
| The Hollywood Squares (Daytime) | Self - Cameo | 1965 |
| Hullabaloo | Self | 1965 |
| Underdog | 1964 | |
| The Hollywood Palace | Self - Host / Self | 1964 |
| Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales | Tennessee Tuxedo / Cousin Percy / Monkey | 1963 |
| Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre | Self | 1963 |
| The Bill Dana Show | Byron Glick / Glick the Hotel Detective / Byron Glick - Hotel Detective | 1963 |
| The Jimmy Dean Show | Self / Self - Comedian | 1963 |
| You Don't Say | Self | 1963 |
| The Match Game | Self - Team Captain | 1962 |
| The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Himself - Guest / Self - Guest / Himself - 'A Couple of Dons' Outtakes (archive footage) | 1962 |
| The Jack Paar Program | Self | 1962 |
| The Andy Williams Show | Self | 1962 |
| The Mike Douglas Show | Himself - Co-Host / Himself - Comedian / Self - Comedian | 1961 |
| Startime | Self | 1959 |
| The Kraft Music Hall | Self | 1958 |
| The Garry Moore Show | Self | 1958 |
| The Steve Lawrence-Eydie Gorme Show | Self | 1958 |
| The Lux Show | Self | 1957 |
| The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar | Himself | 1957 |
| The Dinah Shore Chevy Show | Self | 1956 |
| The Steve Allen Plymouth Show | Self - Comedian | 1956 |
| The Tonight Show | Self / Himself - Comedian | 1954 |
| Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall | Self / Self - Guest / Self - Sketch Actor / Himself - Guest / Himself - Sketch Actor / Self - Comedian / Himself | 1948 |
| The Ed Sullivan Show | Self - Comedian / Magician | 1948 |
Director Filmography
| Title | Year |
|---|
| The Partners | 1971 |
| Get Smart | 1965 |
Producer Filmography
| Title | Year |
|---|
| The Partners | 1971 |
| Year | Type | Category | Won |
|---|
| 1969 | Emmy | Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series | Won |
| 1968 | Emmy | Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series | Won |
| 1967 | Emmy | Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series | Won |
| 1966 | Golden Globe | Best TV Star - Male | Nominated |
| 1966 | Emmy | Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series | Nominated |
