Rik Mayall

Acting

Rik Mayall

Born March 7, 1958 · Harlow, Essex, England

Died June 9, 2014 · aged 56

Richard Michael "Rik" Mayall (7 March 1958 – 9 June 2014) was an English comedian, writer and actor. He was known for his comedy partnership with Adrian Edmondson, his over-the-top, energetic portrayal of characters, and as a pioneer of alternative comedy in the early 1980s.

Known For

An American Werewolf in LondonAn American Werewolf in London · 1981
An American Werewolf in London
7.41981
MovieComedyHorror
American tourists David and Jack are savagely attacked by an unidentified animal while hiking on the Yorkshire Moors. After retiring to the home of a beautiful nurse to recuperate, David soon begins experiencing disturbing changes to his body and mind.
ValiantValiant · 2005
Valiant
5.72005
MovieFamilyAnimation
Set in 1944, Valiant is a woodland pigeon who wants to become a great hero someday. When he hears they are hiring recruits for the Royal Homing Pigeon Service, he immediately sets out for London. On the way, he meets a smelly but friendly pigeon named Bugsy, who joins him, mainly to get away from clients he cheated in a game of find-the pebble, and helps him sign up for the war.
Eye of the NeedleEye of the Needle · 1981
Eye of the Needle
6.61981
MovieDramaThriller
Great Britain, 1944, during World War II. Relentlessly pursued by several MI5 agents, Henry Faber the Needle, a ruthless German spy in possession of vital information about D-Day, takes refuge on Storm Island, an inhospitable, sparsely inhabited island off the coast of northern Scotland.
Drop Dead FredDrop Dead Fred · 1991
Drop Dead Fred
5.81991
MovieComedyFantasy
An unhappy housewife gets a lift from the return of her imaginary childhood friend, Drop Dead Fred.
Guest House ParadisoGuest House Paradiso · 1999
Guest House Paradiso
6.11999
MovieComedy
Richie and Eddie are in charge of the worst hotel in the UK, Guest House Paradiso, neighbouring a nuclear power plant. The illegal immigrant chef has fled and all the guests have gone. But when a famous Italian filmstar, Gina Carbonara, who is in hiding from a fiance she doesn't want to marry, arrives at the hotel, things get very interesting!
The Thief and the CobblerThe Thief and the Cobbler · 1993
The Thief and the Cobbler
7.11993
MovieAnimationFamily
Princess Yum Yum falls in love with Tack and saves him from being executed. Later, when the protective orbs of the palace get stolen, Tack and Yum Yum set out to find them and save the kingdom.
Blackadder: Back & ForthBlackadder: Back & Forth · 1999
Blackadder: Back & Forth
7.01999
MovieComedyHistory
What was a cunning plan from Lord Edmund Blackadder V to fake a time machine on his gullibly incompetent friends, turns out to be the real thing and hurls him and his imbecile underling, Baldrick, through the course of human history.
The Princess and the GoblinThe Princess and the Goblin · 1991
The Princess and the Goblin
5.81991
MovieAdventureAnimation
The story is about the Princess Irene and a young warrior boy named Curty. Irene must use her magic power to fight off goblins and save the kingdom.

Filmography

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Dangerous Brothers Present: World of DangerDangerous Brothers Present: World of Danger · 1986
Dangerous Brothers Present: World of Danger
6.61986
MovieComedy
The Dangerous Brothers was a stage and TV act by anarchic comedy duo Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson, performing respectively as "Richard Dangerous" and "Sir (or occasionally Lady) Adrian Dangerous". Although originating before the show, they appeared in a number of brief sketches in the 1980s TV programme Saturday Live. Eventually being banned for being "too sexy and too violent", they staged a protest by returning as 'The Ben Elton Brothers', and blowing up the car park at LWT Studios. One of the final sketches prepared for Saturday Live was entitled 'Kinky Sex'. This fell foul of Channel 4 censors who banned it. The duo responded in the sketch Dangervision by apparently hijacking the programme and blowing up the wall on which the show's logo was painted in graffiti art. The banned sketch, which by modern standards seems fairly tame, was finally released on a compilation video The Dangerous Brothers present: World of Danger.

Richard Dangerous

Saturday LiveSaturday Live · 1986
Saturday Live
7.01986
SeriesComedy
Saturday Live was a British television comedy and music show broadcast by Channel 4 from 1985 to 1987, and in 1988 as Friday Night Live. Influenced by the American show Saturday Night Live, it was produced by Paul Jackson. The series made stars of Ben Elton, Harry Enfield, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, and featured appearances by Patrick Marber, Morwenna Banks, Chris Barrie, Emo Philips, Craig Ferguson, Craig Charles and many others. The show featured comic duo Adrian Edmondson and Rik Mayall in their act The Dangerous Brothers. All episodes were transmitted live, although some material was pre-recorded. Recordings of shows were edited into compilation repeats, retitled Saturday Almost Live. The show was succeeded by Friday Night Live, a shorter and slightly more tightly-formatted show with Elton as the permanent host, which ran for a single series in 1988. The show's titles consisted of reforming clay animations, highly comparable to early MTV idents.
King Arthur's DisastersKing Arthur's Disasters · 2005
King Arthur's Disasters
5.52005
SeriesAnimation
King Arthur's Disasters is a British animated series which first aired on CITV, a now defunct programming block on ITV1. The series was Co-Created by Paul Parkes and Will Ashurst, the series follows and depicts attempts by King Arthur, assisted by the wizard Merlin, to woo the beautiful self-obsessed Princess Guinevere. Due to the popularity of the show, it was picked up for a second series which began transmission on CITV from 6 November 2005. Both were Executive Produced by Genevieve Dexter King Arthur's Disasters was the highest rated new CITV show during Spring 2005. It regularly achieved an audience share of over 20% of kids and it regularly won its time slot against CBBC. In 2006 the show was nominated for a children's BAFTA for Best Animation, however lost to The Amazing Adrenalini Brothers.