Rik Mayall

Rik Mayall (born Richard Michael Mayall) was an influential English comedian, actor and writer, widely regarded as a pioneer of alternative comedy. Born in Harlow and trained at the University of Manchester, he formed a long-running creative partnership with Adrian Edmondson that helped shape the rise of Britain's alternative comedy scene.

Mayall became a household name through iconic television work including The Young Ones, The Comic Strip Presents..., Filthy Rich & Catflap, The New Statesman and Bottom, where his energetic, anarchic performances and larger-than-life characters redefined the tone of British sitcoms. His screen career also included films such as Drop Dead Fred and Guest House Paradiso, and he won a Primetime Emmy for his voice work as Mr. Toad in The Willows in Winter.

In 1998, Mayall survived a serious quad-bike accident that left him in a coma, but he returned to performing and continued to work across TV and stage. He was married to Barbara Robbin and had three children. Mayall died suddenly at his home in London in 2014 at the age of 56, leaving a lasting legacy on British comedy.