Burt Ward (born Bert John Gervis Jr. /ˈdʒɜːrvɪs/; July 6, 1945) is an American actor, animal welfare activist and businessman.

[4] He acquired the nickname "Sparky" in his youth, possibly from the sparks his skates kicked up during his routines[5] or his energetic nature.

[6] He excelled in high school sport activities such as football, track, and wrestling; he was also a member of the chess club and is a practitioner of Taekwondo.

Unlike the series' lead, Adam West, Ward was required to perform some dangerous stunt work.

[8] At the height of the series' popularity, Ward recorded several musical tracks during sessions produced by Tom Wilson and arranged by Frank Zappa.

[10] The series only lasted three seasons, for a total of 120 episodes; according to Ward in an interview, this was because of the high cost of production.

[13] In June 1995, Ward wrote a tell-all autobiography called Boy Wonder: My Life in Tights, which described his time playing Robin.

West and Ward finally reunited in the 2003 television movie, Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt.

It starred Burt Ward and his crimefighting rescue dogs Gentle and Giant fighting crime.

Their work with the organization has been featured in such outlets as People magazine, ASPCA Animal Watch,[16] Hard Copy, Inside Edition, and Entertainment Tonight.

[19] From 1967 to 1969, he was married to actress Kathy Kersh, whom he met when she appeared as a guest villainess on the Batman television series.