Comedian-actor, onscreen from the '80s. He starred in the British TV comedy The Young Ones, guest-starred on Black Adder and played the title character in the 1991 cult-film Drop Dead Fred. Mayall died in 2014 at age 56.
Rik Mayall
Share on
Biography by AllMovie
Movie Highlights
Factsheet
- His parents were both drama teachers.
- Met future comedy partner Ade Edmondson at college.
- Performed at the Reading Festival in England with his spoof rock band Bad News in 1987.
- Nominated for Best TV Comedy Actor at the British Comedy Awards in 1993 for his role in Bottom and Rik Mayall Presents.
- Auditioned for several roles in The Lion King in 1994.
- Was in a serious quad bike accident in 1998 and was in a coma for several days.
- Played Peeves the Poltergeist in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone but was cut out during editing.
- In 2005, he was voted by other comedians as being in the top 50 comedy performers of all time.
- Awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Exeter in 2008.