About Rik Mayall
Richard Michael Mayall (; 7 March 1958 – 9 June 2014) was an English comedian, actor and writer. He formed a close partnership with Adrian Edmondson while they were students at Manchester University, and was a pioneer of alternative comedy in the 1980s. Mayall starred in numerous successful comedy series throughout his career, including The Young Ones (1982–1984), The Comic Strip Presents... (1983–2012), Filthy Rich & Catflap (1987), The New Statesman (1987–1994), Bottom (1991–1995), and Believe Nothing (2002). He starred in the comedy films Drop Dead Fred (1991) and Guest House Paradiso (1999). Mayall won a Primetime Emmy Award for his voiceover performance as Mr. Toad in TVC London's 1996 animated movie The Willows in Winter (a sequel to TVC's 1995 production of The Wind in the Willows, in which Mayall also played Toad). His comedic style, defined by the over-the-top, grotesque and deeply unsympathethic characters he portrayed, was described as energetic "post-punk". Mayall died of a heart attack at his home in London on 9 June 2014 at the age of 56. Mayall's Kevin Turvey character gained a regular slot in A Kick Up the Eighties, first broadcast in 1981. It was known for anti-establishment humour and for parodies such as Bad News on Tour, a spoof "rockumentary" starring Mayall, Richardson, Edmondson and Planer as a heavy metal band. He attended King's School, Worcester, to which he won a free scholarship.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.