“That Was The Best Film I’ve Been In, Because I Wasn’t In It, And It Was Crap.”

Here’s late great Rik Mayall very humorously describing his experience being cut from the first Harry Potter movie, in response to a query about the best film in which he’d acted. I’m glad he still got paid for it; the only reason I went to see British Kid Wizard in the theater is because IMDb listed Rik’s name in the credits. How agonizing it was to have that movie roll by, each minute stretching out like a month as I waited for a Rik who never arrived.

Obviously the best movie to feature Rik Mayall is American Werewolf In London. It’s a small dose but it works. It’s also a fun departure from his television stuff. In Werewolf you believe Rik’s a real human being, existing in our world, and not some gloriously insane anarchist cartoon.

Speaking of television, if Family Guy doesn’t now acknowledge that they Xeroxed their Stewie character completely from this lovable bottom burp the government should revoke Seth MacFarlane’s Hollywood license. Send him back to Rhode Island and put The Young Ones on in Fam G’s place. I guarantee the country’s mood will improve.

Thanks for all the searing laughs and boundless energy, Rik. You were real comedy danger. Please come back some time as a real poltergeist.