Donald James Yarmy (April 13, 1923 – September 25, 2005), 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 (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).

Biography

Adams was married to Adelaide Efantis Adams, Dorothy Bracken Adams, and Judy Luciano. His brother, Richard Paul Yarmy, also known as Dick Yarmy (February 14, 1932 – May 5, 1992), was an actor. His sister, Gloria (Yarmy) Burton, was a writer.

His daughter Cecily Adams, also an actress, died in 2004 at age 46 of lung cancer. His son, Sean Adams, died at age 35 of brain tumor in 2006, barely a year after his father passed away.

Adams was an avid gambler; according to his longtime friend Bill Dana, "He could be very devoted to his family if you reminded him about it, [but] Don's whole life was focused around gambling."

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