Replacing an iconic actor like Adam West isn't easy, but after the star of the 1960s "Batman" television series died in 2017, the team at "Family Guy" faced the daunting task of coming up with someone to take the place of Quahog's beloved and hilariously infectious Mayor West. Casting director Christine Terry brought in Hollywood heavyweight Sam Elliott to fill the void.
"They wanted to find someone who is as special as Adam West," Terry said during an exclusive interview with AwardsWatch. "But, really, how do you replace Adam West? It's such a hard task to do. And they wanted to find someone who was iconic and incredible. And because they had a relationship with him [Elliott], they thought this could really work. This can be genius. Let's see if Sam wants to do it. And you know, the rest is history."
In Season 19, Episode 7 ("Wild Wild West"), Peter (Seth MacFarlane) persuades Mayor West's cousin Wild West (Elliott) to run for office. The rugged outdoorsman wins over the citizens of Quahog with his door-to-door downhome approach and sexy baritone voice. But even with many fans voting favorably for the new mayor's debut storyline on IMDb, Elliott's take on "Family Guy's" leading city official didn't show up again as a recurring character until Season 20.
