The hard story of Don Adams, the actor who played “Super Agent 86” and was on the brink of death

2023-09-26 00:34:33

With a spatula

September 25 2023, 6:34 pm
At 90 years old, this is how Barbara Feldon, the beautiful agent 99 of the popular series “Super Agent 86?” (Photo: ABC)

Don Adams is synonymous with comedy: the actor’s image was inevitably related to Maxwell Smart in Super Agent 86, an iconic series that went down in history as a classic. The interpreter, however, has a tough life story and was even on the verge of death when he was just 19 years old.

By TN

The American, whose real name was Donald James Yarmy, was born on April 13, 1923 in New York City and found his vocation after making a decision that marked him with fire: it happens that, as soon as he came of age, he He enlisted in the United States Navy and was integrated into a battalion in San Diego, California.

In August 1942, when World War II began to involve other protagonists, his group was designated to participate in the renowned Battle of Guadalnacal. That initiative, framed in the Pacific Theater of Operations, was one of the first operations of the Allies against the Japanese Empire.

The hard story of Don Adams: the illness he miraculously overcame

There, Adams suffered wounds from a Japanese sniper’s fire, but was the only survivor of the platoon that was attacked on the island of Tulagi. In any case, his health would be in serious danger after contracting the disease usually called sewage fever and his prognosis would be guarded.

The future winner of three Emmy Awards knew that the outlook was bleak: the pathology, derived from the complications of malaria, had a mortality rate close to 90% and the recovery was cut short due to the precarious conditions on the battlefield. Even so, after a year of hospitalization at the Wellington Naval Hospital, in New Zealand, he was able to move forward.

Beyond being awarded the Purple Heart, intended for those injured in combat, he served as an instructor in the Armed Forces and received recognition for his great shooting capabilities. Upon returning to his native country, the actor began his artistic career as a comedian and imitator in various humble clubs.

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