Rik Mayall

Richard Michael "Rik" Mayall (7th March 1958 - 9th June 2014) was an English comedian, writer, actor and voice-over artist. Mayall was a pioneer of alternative comedy in the early 1980s. He formed a comedy partnership with Ade Edmondson, and appeared in numerous cult classic sitcoms, including The Young Ones (1982-84), Filthy Rich & Catflap (1987), The New Statesman (1987-94), Bottom (1991-95), Blackadder, and in the comedy films Drop Dead Fred (1991) and Guest House Paradiso (1999). His acting style was described as energetic "post-punk".
At the time of his death, Mayall was described by Danny Cohen, director of BBC Television, as a "truly brilliant" comedian with a unique stage presence, whose "fireball creativity" and approach to sitcom had inspired a generation of comedy stars.