--- name: "Rik Mayall" canonical: "https://film.one/person/rik-mayall" fi1m_id: "rik-mayall" imdb_id: "nm0562201" tmdb_id: 14469 wikidata_id: "Q439095" roles: ["Actor","Writer"] born: "7 March 1958" died: "9 June 2014" reviewed_on_fi1m: 4 average_fi1m_score: 74 average_as: "actor" average_over: 4 updated: "2026-10-07T11:15:17.917692+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Rik Mayall ## Identity Rik Mayall - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/rik-mayall - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** rik-mayall - **IMDb ID:** nm0562201 - **TMDB ID:** 14469 - **Wikidata ID:** Q439095 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rik_Mayall, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q439095, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0562201/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/14469 Actor and writer. Born 7 March 1958 in Harlow, Essex, England. Died 9 June 2014. ## Details - **Work:** Actor, Writer - **Born:** 7 March 1958, Harlow, Essex, England - **Died:** 9 June 2014 - **Active:** 1981–1991 - **Frequently works with:** [Adrian Edmondson](https://film.one/person/adrian-edmondson.md), [Nigel Planer](https://film.one/person/nigel-planer.md), [Alexei Sayle](https://film.one/person/alexei-sayle.md), [Ben Elton](https://film.one/person/ben-elton.md), [Ed Bye](https://film.one/person/ed-bye.md), [Paul Jackson](https://film.one/person/paul-jackson.md) - **Primetime Emmy Awards:** 1 Emmy (1 won) - **Average Fi1m score:** 74, as actor, over 4 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 82 (3), 1990s 48 (1) - **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 0 at 60–79, 1 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 2 of 3 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Comedy 4, Fantasy 2, Drama 1, Family 1, Horror 1 - **Screen time:** 3 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $46m across 2 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rik_Mayall, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q439095, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0562201/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/14469 ## Streaming the US now - **Amazon Prime Video:** [*An American Werewolf in London*](https://film.one/film/an-american-werewolf-in-london.md) (80) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Rik Mayall > Rik Mayall made obnoxious characters worth spending an evening with, using exact timing and an alarming appetite for excess. We rate him most highly when the writing gives that energy somewhere useful to go. As Rick in *The Young Ones* (1982), Rik Mayall makes irritation a matter of precision. The performance is deliberately trying, and making Rick more agreeable would remove much of what is funny about him. We laughed at his obnoxiousness because Mayall gives it such careful timing, even amid the programme's commotion. He can push a line hard without losing sight of why it is funny, a skill that matters when almost everything around him is competing for attention. We admire the control as much as the willingness to be disliked. The programme was his breakthrough, but the obnoxiousness was portable. Lord Flashheart in *Blackadder* (1986) and Alan B'Stard in *The New Statesman* (1987) gave him other ways of making an overbearing man funny. By *Bottom* (1991), which he co-wrote and starred in with Adrian Edmondson, the partnership was extending its appetite for violent slapstick. Across these roles, Mayall kept finding comedy in men with little reason to think so highly of themselves. The physical commitment remained, though sheer force was never enough to make every joke work. In *The Young Ones*, co-writers Lise Mayer and Ben Elton help give Mayall lines strong enough to survive all that emphasis. The strongest jokes do not need the performers to insist on how outrageous they are. Mayall and Edmondson also carry weaker passages through by committing to them past the point where a more cautious performer might retreat. But the programme can keep pressing a point after we have understood it, when a change of pace would serve it better. Across a 29-minute episode, that insistence can be tiring, even with performers this skilful at making a nuisance of themselves. Cinema brought a starring role in *Drop Dead Fred* (1991) and a wider audience, but our recommendation begins with the television ensemble. Mayall's gift is clearest beside Edmondson: Rick's calculated irritation and Vyvyan's force give much of the commotion a purpose. That does not excuse every weak passage, but it explains why we are willing to stay through them. Start with *The Young Ones*, and do not expect Rick to become more agreeable once he has settled in. ## Biography Rik Mayall (7 March 1958 – 9 June 2014) was an English comedian, actor and writer. He was a leading figure in the alternative comedy scene of the early 1980s and frequently collaborated with Adrian Edmondson. Mayall studied drama at the University of Manchester, where he met Edmondson. Their partnership began with stage and club acts before moving to television. He played the character Rick and co-wrote the BBC sitcom *The Young Ones* (1982–1984). He appeared in *The Comic Strip Presents...* (from 1982), *Blackadder* (1983–1989) as Lord Flashheart, *The New Statesman* (1987–1994) and *Bottom* (1991–1995), which he co-wrote with Edmondson. Mayall also acted in films including *Drop Dead Fred* (1991). *Sources: screenonline.org.uk, britannica.com, en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (4) - *Drop Dead Fred* (1991), Fi1m 48, as Drop Dead Fred — [page](https://film.one/film/drop-dead-fred.md) - *Blackadder* (1983), Fi1m 84, as Mad Gerald — [page](https://film.one/tv/blackadder.md) - *The Young Ones* (1982), Fi1m 82, as Rick — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-young-ones.md) - *An American Werewolf in London* (1981), Fi1m 80, as Second Chess Player — [page](https://film.one/film/an-american-werewolf-in-london.md) ## Complete filmography (130) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Partridge and Moulding Want To Get Laid* (2026), Thanks - *Completely Bad News* (2019), as Colin Grigson - *How The Young Ones Changed Comedy* (2018), as (Archive Footage) - *One by One* (2015), as Ernest - *The Escape* (2015), as Eddie - *Man Down* (2013), series, as Dad - *Don't Fear Death* (2013), Actor - *Five Go to Rehab* (2012), as Mr. McVitty - *30 Years of Comic Strip* (2012), Actor - *Errors of the Human Body* (2012), as Samuel Mead - *Eldorado* (2012), as Chef Mario - *The Hunt for Tony Blair* (2011), as Professor Predictor - *The Itch of the Golden Nit* (2011), as President Pinky (voice) - *Just for the Record* (2010), as Andy Wiseman - *Blackadder's Most Cunning Moments* (2008), as Lord Flashheart/Self - *The Legend of Harrow Woods* (2008), as Winston Junior - *Me & My Goldfish* (2008), as Narrator (voice) · Writer - *Snow White: The Sequel* (2007), as The Seven Dwarves (voice) - *Sindy The Fairy Princess* (2006), Actor - *Sex Actually* (2005), as Bilbo - *All About George* (2005), series, as George Kinsey - *King Arthur's Disasters* (2005), series, Actor - *Valiant* (2005), as Cufflingk (voice) - *Agatha Christie's Marple* (2004), series, as Alec Nicholson - *Churchill: The Hollywood Years* (2004), as Baxter · Additional Dialogue - *Bottom Mindless Violence* (2004), as Rick / Richie Rich / Richard Dangerous / Dreamy Time Escort / Richie Richard / Richard Twat (archive footage) - *Shoebox Zoo* (2004), series, as Edwin the Eagle (voice) - *ABBA - The Last Video* (2004), as Record Producer - *Bottom Live 2003: Weapons Grade Y-Fronts Tour* (2003), as Richard Richard - *Chaos and Cadavers* (2003), as Lennox Crowley - *Oh Marbella!* (2003), as Greg Dubois - *Believe Nothing* (2002), series, as Professor Adonis Cnut - *Day of the Sirens* (2002), as Domo Childs - *Chilly Dogs* (2001), as Carter - *Bottom Live 2001: An Arse Oddity* (2001), as Richie · Writer - *Murder Rooms: The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes* (2001), series, as Lt. Daniel Blaney - *Tales of Uplift and Moral Improvement* (2001), series, as Mrs. Ffine Carmody - *Merlin: The Return* (2000), as Merlin - *Jesus Christ Superstar* (2000), as King Herod - *Jellikins: Christmas Special* (2000), as Narrator (voice) - *Four Men in a Plane* (2000), as Alan Sellars - *Guest House Paradiso* (1999), as Richie Twat · Screenplay - *Big Bottom Live - The Best of Bottom Live* (1999), Actor - *Watership Down* (1999), series, as Kehaar (voice) - *SpongeBob SquarePants* (1999), series, as Lord Reginald (voice) - *Blackadder: Back & Forth* (1999), as Robin Hood - *What's a Carry On?* (1998), as Sultan Abdul the Benevolent (archive footage) (uncredited) - *In the Red* (1998), series, as Dominic De'Ath - *Jellabies* (1998), series, as Narrator (Voice) - *Four Men in a Car* (1998), as Alan - *The Canterville Ghost* (1997), as Reverend Dampier - *Bottom Live 3: Hooligan's Island* (1997), as Richie Richard - *Midsomer Murders* (1997), series, as David Roper — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/tv/midsomer-murders.md) - *Bring Me the Head of Mavis Davis* (1997), as Marty Starr - *Remember Me?* (1997), as Ian - *The Willows in Winter* (1996), as Toad - *The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends: The Tale of Two Bad Mice and Johnny Town-Mouse* (1996), as Tom Thumb (voice) - *Bottom Fluff* (1996), Actor - *The Wind in the Willows* (1995), as Toad (voice) - *Bottom Live 2: The Big Number 2 Tour* (1995), as Richie - *How to be a Little Sod* (1995), series, Actor - *Out Of My Head* (1995), as Ricky / The Doctor / Tobi - *Look at the State We're In!* (1995), series, as Rattner - *Rik Mayall Presents: Clair de Lune* (1995), as Toby - *Rik Mayall Presents: Dirty Old Town* (1995), as Raymond - *Rik Mayall Presents: The Big One* (1995), as Lewis Fox - *The Snow Queen* (1995), as Robber King - *Bottom Live: The Stage Show* (1993), as Richie - *The Thief and the Cobbler* (1993), as Brigand (uncredited) - *Rik Mayall Presents: Dancing Queen* (1993), as Neil - *Rik Mayall Presents: Briefest Encounter* (1993), as Greg - *Rik Mayall Presents: Micky Love* (1993), as Micky Love - *Rik Mayall Presents* (1993), series, Actor - *Horse Opera* (1993), as Wyatt Earp - *Holy - Bottom: Christmas Special* (1992), as Richard Richard · Writer - *Carry On Columbus* (1992), as The Sultan - *Little Noises* (1992), as Mathias Liechstenstein - *Red Nose of Courage* (1992), as James Huntington - *Bottom* (1991), series, as Richard Richard · Writer, Creator - *The Princess and the Goblin* (1991), as Prince Froglip (voice) - *Drop Dead Fred* (1991), as Drop Dead Fred — Fi1m 48, [page](https://film.one/film/drop-dead-fred.md) - *GLC: The Carnage Continues* (1990), as Lord Mayor of London - *Who Shot Alan B'Stard?* (1990), as Alan B'Stard - *The Turnip* (1990), Actor - *Kevin Turvey Investigates* (1989), as Kevin Turvey · Writer - *Oh No, Not Them* (1989), Creator - *Grim Tales* (1989), series, Actor - *Employees From Hell* (1989), Actor - *Mr Jolly Lives Next Door* (1988), as Dreamy Time Escort · Writer - *More Bad News* (1988), as Colin Grigson - *The Strike* (1988), as Speaker/Hunchback - *Jake's Journey* (1988), as Troll - *Eat the Rich* (1987), as Micky - *The New Statesman* (1987), series, as Alan B'Stard - *French & Saunders* (1987), series, as Cameo - *Hardwicke House* (1987), series, as Lenny - *Filthy Rich & Catflap* (1987), series, as Richard Rich · Writer - *Whoops Apocalypse* (1986), as S.A.S Commander - *Omnibus Presents Comic Relief* (1986), series, Actor - *Saturday Live* (1986), series, Actor - *Private Enterprise* (1986), as Ali Kitson - *Dangerous Brothers Present: World of Danger* (1986), as Richard Dangerous - *The Dangerous Brothers* (1986), series, as Richard Dangerous · Creator - *Consuela (or, The New Mrs Saunders)* (1986), as Richard - *Happy Families* (1985), series, as Priest - *Gino: Full Story and Pics* (1984), as Tim - *A Fistful of Travellers' Cheques* (1984), as Carlos · Writer - *Dirty Movie* (1984), as Toadstool · Writer - *Blackadder* (1983), series, as Mad Gerald, Squadron Commander Lord Flasheart — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/blackadder.md) - *Summer School* (1983), as Tark - *Bad News* (1983), as Colin Grigson - *The Beat Generation* (1983), as Jeremy - *War* (1983), as Various Roles - *The Young Ones* (1982), series, as Rick · Writer, Creator — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-young-ones.md) - *The Comic Strip Presents...* (1982), series, as Slug/General Erwin/Hovis, Jeremy, Colin Grigson, Tark, Toadstool, Carlos, Tim, Richard, Ali Kitson, Speaker/Hunchback, Dreamy Time Escort, Lord Mayor · Writer - *Northern Lights* (1982), as Chris - *Kevin Turvey: The Man Behind the Green Door* (1982), as Kevin Turvey · Writer - *Wood and Walters* (1982), series, Actor - *The Orchard End Murder* (1981), as Policeman - *Couples and Robbers* (1981), as Morris David Boyd - *A Kick Up the Eighties* (1981), series, Actor - *An American Werewolf in London* (1981), as Second Chess Player — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/an-american-werewolf-in-london.md) - *Shock Treatment* (1981), as 'Rest Home' Ricky - *Eye of the Needle* (1981), as Sailor #2 - *The Rocky Horror Treatment* (1981), as (archive footage) - *Wolcott* (1981), series, as PC Fell - *The Comic Strip* (1981), Writer - *Boom Boom... Out Go the Lights* (1980), series, Actor - *The Squad* (1980), series, as Supporter - *The Cannon & Ball Show* (1979), series, as Clerk ## Gallery - ![In Memory Of The Man, The Myth, The Legend. Dr The Rik Mayall Pan Global Phenomenon Equality, Opportunity, Wisdom, Freedom & … (2018)](https://film.one/media/person/60396/gallery-9165040fc229.jpg) In Memory Of The Man, The Myth, The Legend. Dr The Rik Mayall Pan Global Phenomenon Equality, Opportunity, Wisdom, Freedom & … (2018) — danielthepope, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/View_from_the_bench_%28OpenBenches_5558-2%29.jpg/1280px-View_from_the_bench_%28OpenBenches_5558-2%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Rik Mayall](https://film.one/media/person/60396/gallery-2495b803674e.jpg) Rik Mayall — Image via TMDB ## Awards ### Primetime Emmy Awards — 1 won - 1997: Outstanding Voice-Over Performance (won) *From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.* --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/rik-mayall