Famed British actor and comedian, Rik Mayall was found dead this morning in his home by his family. He was 56. There is no evidence of foul play and he had not been ill. His family, of course, is shocked and in turmoil since there is no obvious cause of death.
If any Americans know who Rik Mayall is, it’s probably from his genius performance in Drop Dead Fred in the early 90s. I remember, as a young camp counselor, talking my boss into letting me take the kids to see it in the movie theatre. The kids loved it, I loved it, my boss did not. Maybe because the only theatre we could find was a cinema draft house, but that’s a different story.
But, that’s not where I first saw Rik Mayall. I fell in love with Rik Mayall in the 80’s. My sister and I would stay up late and watch The Young Ones on MTV. Now that was a brilliant comedy. Mayall played “Rick,” an anarchist, a poet and incredibly obnoxious. That show helped define our teenage years and left an indelible mark on our comedy predilections.
I suspect there will be a rise in The Young Ones being downloaded, bought and of course, lots and lots of laughter.
His co-star from The Young Ones, Adrian Edmondson, who played Vyvian on show, said today:
There were times when Rik and I were writing together when we almost died laughing. They were some of the most carefree stupid days I ever had, and I feel privileged to have shared them with him. And now he’s died for real. Without me. Selfish bastard.
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