Too Opinionated

Too Opinionated Interview: Burt Ward


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Burt Ward, the original "Robin" from the Batman TV Series, and his wife Tracy, have rescued more than 15,500 dogs and hundreds of cats in the last 30 years and they created Gentle Giants Natural Non GMO Ingredients Pet Foods to help all precious pets live longer and healthier. Dogs eating Gentle Giants Natural Non GMO Ingredients Dog and Puppy Food and following Gentle Giants Special Feeding and Care Program are living as long as 30 healthy, active years with a wonderful quality of life. They have also created Gentle Giants Natural Non GMO Ingredients Cat and Kitten Food to help cats live long, healthy, active lives, too. Learn more at GentleGiantsDogFood.com and GentleGiantsPetProducts.com.

Little did aspiring actor Burt Ward know that learning martial arts in addition to his mental and athletic prowess would change his life forever. As a teen-age, Burt had all the makings of a true boy wonder. As an all around athlete, strong in martial arts, wrestling, track, tennis and golf, combined with a sharp intellect, playing "first board" in chess for Beverly Hills High School, achieving the top 3% in the U.S. in math and science tests at UCLA, and becoming the world's fastest reader - Burt tested before the American Medical Society in Beverly Hills, California and was clocked at 30,000 words per minute with 90% comprehension (the average reader reads 240 words per minute with 40% comprehension). Burt was featured in an article entitled, "Will the Real Boy Wonder Please Stand Up" and subsequently appeared on the national television educational show "Read Right."

After signing with a Hollywood agent, Burt's first interview was set up at 20th Century Fox Studios, and a few weeks later, Burt was called back for a screen test with Adam West. Holder of a brown belt in karate at the time, Burt showed off his athletic ability for the producers by demonstrating some falls and tumbles, and even broke a one-inch pine board with his hand. Burt was friends with Bruce Lee. A special piece of movie trivia is that Bruce Lee's first filmed fight scene of his career was fighting Burt Ward. Executive Producer William Dozier commented about Ward's tall size in comparison to Adam West, and the new Boy Wonder prospect replied, "I promise you, sir, I won't grow anymore." Dozier laughed and told Burt that he would hold him to that. It wasn't until six weeks after the screen test that Burt learned that he had won the coveted role of Robin, the Boy Wonder in the new "Batman" TV series for ABC-TV. He was everything they wanted. All he had to do was just be himself. Batman Was an Overnight Sensation!

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