Rik Mayall

Rik Mayall

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Rik Mayall (born Richard Michael Mayall; 7 March 1958 - 9 June 2014) Rik Mayall was a British comedian best known for his partnership with Ade Edmondson in 'The Young Ones' and 'Bottom'.

Net Worth: Rik Mayall's net worth was $5 million according to Celebrity Net Worth (2014).

Childhood: Mayall was born in Harlow, Essex but later moved to Droitwich, Spa, Worchestershire. His parents were drama teachers John and Gillian Mayall. He attended The King's School, Worchester and then the University of Manchester in 1976 to study drama. Here he made friends with future comedy partner Ade Edmondson. He also met 'The Young Ones' co-writers Ben Elton and Lise Mayer.

Comedy Career: Rik Mayall kicked off his comedy career with Edmondson at the Comedy Store in 1980, with whom he had a double act named 20th Century Coyote alongside his solo characters such as Kevin Turvey. The duo, along with several other comedians such as French and Saunders, set up their own club called 'The Comic Strip' in a Soho strip bar. The club soon became the short film series 'The Comic Strip Presents...' Kevin Turvey became a regular character on the sketch show 'A Kick Up the Eighties' and was later the subject of mockumentary 'Kevin Turvey - The Man Behind The Green Door'.

Punk sitcom 'The Young Ones' was Mayall's next big project which first aired in 1982. He played Cliff Richard fan Rik while Edmondson played an angry punk named Vyvyan. The cast of the series later performed with Cliff Richard in a rendition of his hit 'Living Doll' for Comic Relief in 1986.

In 1986, Mayall featured in Art Of Noise's music video for the song 'Peter Gunn' as a Detective. Mayall and Edmondson performed stand-up once again on 'Saturday Live' with one of their old double acts The Dangerous Brothers.

Mayall starred as Mad Gerald in series one of 'Blackadder', while appearing as Lord Flashheart in 'Blackadder II', Squadron Commander Flashheart in Blackadder Goes Forth and Robin Hood in 'Blackadder: Back & Forth'. In the late 80s, Mayall starred as Richie Rich in 'The Young Ones' follow-up series 'Filthy Rich & Catflap', before starring once again with Edmondson on the highly criticised sitcom 'Hardwicke House'.

He played Conservative MP Alan Beresford in the political sitcom 'The New Statesman', before narrating an ITV puppet series called 'Grim Tales'. In the 1990s, Mayall featured in comical Nintendo adverts which paid for his London home he later nicknamed 'Nintendo Towers'.

Mayall and Edmondson starred in the 1991 West End show 'Waiting For Godot' before launching their hugely successful comedy series 'Bottom'. The show later toured on stage in 1993, but, due to the frequent slapstick violence, they often ended up hospitalising each other and themselves. Mayall and Phoebe Cates co-starred in 'Drop Dead Fred' in 1991. Mayall played a woman's childhood imaginary friend who returned to her as an adult. Mayall also featured in 'Carry On Columbus' in 1992. Mayall voiced Froglip in the 1992 animated film 'The Princess And The Goblin', which was an adaptation of the 1872 children's story by George MacDonald.

Mayall appeared in 'Rik Mayall Presents' in 1993 which won him an award at the British Comedy Award for 'Best Comedy Performer'. Mayall was in the play 'Cell Mates' along with Stephen Fry. Fry shortly had a nervous breakdown and went to Belgium causing the play to close early. From 1999, Mayall provided his voice for the animated television series 'Watership Down', playing seagull 'Kehaar'. Mayall also featured in some adverts for Virgin Trains in the later 1990s. Mayall played 'Lt Daniel Blaney' in 'Murder Rooms: The Mysteries of the Real Sherlock Holmes', in the episode 'The White Knight Stratagem' in 2001. The following year he starred as Professor Adonis Cnut in the short-lived ITV sitcom, 'Believe Nothing'. Mayall featured in the BBC program 'Showbox Zoo' voicing Edwin.

Mayall released a semi-fictionalised autobiography 'Bigger Than Hitler, Better Than Christ' in 2005. Around this time, he starred in the ITV series 'All About George'. In 2006, Mayall played Alan B'Stard in the play 'The New Statesman 2006: Blair B'Stard Project'. After a successful run, Mayall had to pull out of further shows due to chronic fatigue and flu, to be replaced by his understudy Mike Sherman. He voiced King Arthur in the cartoon 'King Arthur's Disasters' alongside Matt Lucas playing Merlin. Mayall had a recurring role in remake of the drama 'Minder'.

Mayall released the anthem 'Noble England' for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The song broke into the official UK charts, following Mayall's death in 2014. Mayall featured in 'Let's Dance For Comic Relief' in 2011, where he hit Ade Edmondson with a frying pan in a performance of 'The Dying Swan ballet'. In April of that year, Mayall brought back the character of Alan B'Stard appearing in a satirical advert for the No2AV. The following May, Mayall became the 'Bombardier' in a TV advert for 'Bombardier Bitter'. The adverts breached the Ofcom code against alcohol and sexual attractiveness being linked to success.

Mayall starred in 'The Last Hurrah' in 2012; an audio series that he co-wrote with Craig Green and Dominic Vince. The same year Mayall narrated children's books on the Me Books app, such as 'The Getaway' and 'Banana!' by Ed Vere. Mayall appeared in the Channel 4 sitcom 'Man Down in 2013. Mayall played the father of the protagonist, who was played by Greg Davies, despite just being ten years older. 

Personal life: Rik Mayall had a relationship with 'The Young Ones' go writer Lise Mayer in his early years. He married Barbara Robbin in 1985 and the pair had three children together. Their relationship started out as an affair, as Mayall was with Lise Mayer at the time. Mayall stated that Mayer had forgiven him in 2002. Mayer suffered a quad bike accident in 1998, fracturing his skull which resulted in him being in a coma for several days. In June 2014, it was announced that he had died at home following an acute cardiac event.



Biography by Contactmusic.com

Rik Mayall Honoured With Memorial 'Bottom' Bench In London


Rik Mayall

Fans of Rik Mayall gathered in London yesterday as the late comedian was honoured with a fitting tribute, a memorable bench in Hammersmith. The bench replicates the one seen in the opening credits of his BBC series ‘Bottom’ which he co-wrote and starred in alongside Ade Edmondson.

Rik MayallMayall with Ade Edmondson in 'Bottom'

The bench, situated near Hammersmith Bridge Road in Hammersmith, west London, bares a plaque with the inscription, ‘In Memory of The Man, The Myth, The Legend. Dr The Rik Mayall. Pan Global Phenomenon. Equality, Opportunity, Wisdom, Freedom & Love. Barbara: Love Is The Answer.’

Continue reading: Rik Mayall Honoured With Memorial 'Bottom' Bench In London

Farewell Rik Mayall: Comic Laid To Rest By Family And Friends In Devon


Rik Mayall Dawn French Alan Rickman Jennifer Saunders Ben Elton Ruby Wax Adrian Edmondson

Rik Mayall was laid to rest in a rose-festooned wicker coffin in a beautiful English churchyard yesterday (19 June). The late comedian collapsed and died aged 56 after his morning run on Monday 9 June, owing to what was later found to be a heart attack.

Ade Edmondson Rik Mayall
Adrian Edmondson [L] Was A Pallbearer At His Friend Rik Mayall's [R] Funeral.

The comedian and former star of The Young Ones passed away at his home in Barnes, South West London, but was buried St George's Church in the village of Dittisham, Devon. The sun was shining and guests were seen smiling as they exchanged fond memories of the profanity-loving comic.

Continue reading: Farewell Rik Mayall: Comic Laid To Rest By Family And Friends In Devon

Noel Fielding On Rik Mayall's Mighty Boosh Influence


Noel Fielding Rik Mayall

Noel Fielding is the latest comedian to pay tribute to the late Rik Mayall, who died suddenly on June 9 after “an acute cardiac event” following a morning run. The Mighty Boosh star details how Mayall’s The Young Ones influenced his own his comedy, which enjoyed three series on The BBC and a popular live show.

Noel Fielding Mighty Boosh LiveNoel Fielding performs The Mighty Boosh Live in 2005 - Photo: Getty/Simone Joyner

Writing in The NME, Fielding notes that The Young Ones was “the first post-punk comedy, and a complete changing of the guard. The Young Ones was a huge influence on The Mighty Boosh, for both Julian [Barratt] and myself."

Continue reading: Noel Fielding On Rik Mayall's Mighty Boosh Influence

Rik Mayall Fans Propel 4-Year-Old Football Song Into The Top 10


Rik Mayall

Fans have been buying Noble England in tribute to the much loved and tragically late actor and comedian, Rik Mayall. The surge in sales has seen the song hit the UK top ten and become England’s unofficial World Cup 2014 anthem.

Rik MayallFans of Rik Mayall (pictured right) have campaign for a Bottom bench where he punched Ade Edmondson (pictured left) in the groin

Following the campaign, which implored fans of the Bottom actor to buy the song in tribute, Noble England has landed at number seven in this week's official UK singles chart.

Continue reading: Rik Mayall Fans Propel 4-Year-Old Football Song Into The Top 10

Rik Mayall's 2010 World Cup Song Reaches No.7 In UK Singles Chart


Rik Mayall

A football song Rik Mayall recorded for the World Cup 2010 has reached the UK top 10 this week. Fans started a campaign to put the song back into the charts as a tribute to the comedian, who died on June 9 from an “acute cardiac event.”

Rik Mayall Noble England Rik Mayall, pictured back centre, was known for his work on The Young Ones and Bottom

Mayall recorded the song, titled “Noble England,” four years ago and fans began to buy it again after his sad passing. The music video for the song features Mayall as a disgruntled pub worker who heads into the ladies toilet and transforms into a Shakespearean character before reciting a speech adapted from Shakespeare’s Henry V. The play tells the story of King Henry V of England and the events which took place before and after the famous Battle of Agincourt.

Continue reading: Rik Mayall's 2010 World Cup Song Reaches No.7 In UK Singles Chart

Ahead Of England V Italy, Rik Mayall’s ‘Noble England’ Set For Top 10


Rik Mayall

On the eve of England’s opening World Cup fixture against Italy in Manaus, Rik Mayall’s failed football song Noble England is set to gatecrash the UK singles Top 10 chart after a campaign to get the song to No.1 following the actor’s death. Mayall died at the age of 56 on Monday.

Rik MayallRik Mayall died on Monday, aged 56

Mayall’s track failed to chart following its release the first time around, for the 2010 World Cup, but its been soaring up the iTunes chart in recent days. The campaign has been spearheaded by Jon Morter – the man responsible for securing Rage Against The Machine the Christmas No.1 spot in 2009, ahead of X-Factor winner Joe McElderry.

Continue reading: Ahead Of England V Italy, Rik Mayall’s ‘Noble England’ Set For Top 10

Rik Mayall's Cause Of Death - Cardiac Arrest After Morning Run?


Rik Mayall

Rik Mayall suffered an "acute cardiac event" after returning home from his morning run, according to his wife. Barbara Robbin spoke to the press, including the Telegraph, after a post mortem examination into the comic's death proved inconclusive. 

Rik MayallRik Mayall died suddenly this week

The 56-year-old comedy hero died suddenly on Monday (June 9, 2014) and Mrs Robbin suggested that an epileptic fit could have been a possible cause of death. 

Continue reading: Rik Mayall's Cause Of Death - Cardiac Arrest After Morning Run?

Which Character Did Rik Mayall Play In Harry Potter? (Before He Was Cut)


Rik Mayall Harry Potter

Rik Mayall - the legendary British comedian who died expectantly aged 56 this week - filmed scenes for Harry Potter & The Philosopher's Stone but was cut from the final version. In an interview that's turned up online since his death, Mayall revealed that he'd been cast as Peeves the poltergeist - which was due to be a recurring role in the monster franchise.

Rik MayallRik Mayall was in Harry Potter, for 3 weeks.

Mayall, who started off the anecdote by asserting, "the film, with respect ... no, with no respect at all... the film was sh*t", explained, "I did it, I went and f*cking did it. I played the part of Peeves in Harry Potter. I got sent off the set because every time I tried to do a bit of acting, all the lads who were playing the school kids kept getting the giggles, they kept corpsing, so they threw me off."

Continue reading: Which Character Did Rik Mayall Play In Harry Potter? (Before He Was Cut)

Rik Mayall Dead At 56: Tributes Roll In For 'Bottom' Star


Rik Mayall

Rik Mayall, the English comedian and actor best known for The Young Ones and Bottom, had died aged 56. Mayall, who formed a long and successful comedy partnership with Adrian Edmondson, also appeared in numerous feature films including Drop Dead Fred and Guest House Paradiso.

Rik MayallAde [L] and Rik Mayall [R] in Bottom

Mayall died this morning, a spokesman for Brunskill Management confirmed.

Continue reading: Rik Mayall Dead At 56: Tributes Roll In For 'Bottom' Star

Drop Dead Fred Review


Bad
Ouch. Phoebe Cates, lost in obscurity since Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Gremlins, made this utter bomb in 1991, and poor Carrie Fisher got drawn into the mess, too. The story of a grown woman with an invisible/imaginary friend, the movie is unfortunately aimed at teens/kids instead of twentysomethings who would have appreciated another chance to get a glimpse of Cates in the buff. Alas, it just was not to be. Atrocious and utterly unfunny.
Rik Mayall

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