It is with great regret that I write about the passing of Rik Mayall, a comedian and actor whom I’ve enjoyed since a very young age. Much like Robin, there is still a large chunk of Mayall’s body of work that is unfamiliar to me, because several of his most popular roles were on British television shows that I have yet to watch. I have, however, seen episodes of The Young Ones, which was one of his breakout roles, where he stars as Rick the spastic anarchist.
But undoubtedly one of Mayall’s best known roles was as Flashheart on the many different series of Blackadder. This was the first role I ever saw Mayall in, and Lord Flashheart has been a favourite character of mine ever since. WOOF! WOOF!
While the bulk of Mayall’s work was on television, he also made the occasional foray into film, and even though it might be a bit obscure, I know a lot of people (myself included) who consider Drop Dead Fred to be something of an underrated, nostalgic classic. In tribute to Mayall, here’s the move in its entirety!
And, as one last send-off to the late, great Rik Mayall, here’s a true monument to his genius.
I’ll leave you with a quote from The Young Ones that I think sums up Rik Mayall’s passing. Rest in peace, Rik. It’ll take more than a firetruck to stop Drop Dead Fred.
This house will become a shrine! And punks and skins and Rastas will all gather ’round and hold their hands in sorrow for their fallen leader! And all the grownups will say, “But why are the kids crying?’ And the kids will say, ‘Haven’t you heard? Rick is dead! The people’s poet is dead!”
Then one particularly sensitive and articulate teenager will say, “Why kids? Do you understand nothing? How can Rick be dead when we still have his poems?!”