Rik Mayall

His parents were both drama teachers. Met future comedy partner Ade Edmondson at university. Was a pioneer of alternative comedy in the 1980s with classic sitcoms, The Young Ones, The Comic Strip Presents..., Blackadder, The New Statesman and Bottom. Performed at Reading Festival with his spoof rock band Bad News in 1987. Won award for Best TV Comedy Actor at the British Comedy Awards in 1993 for his role in Bottom and Rik Mayall Presents. Auditioned for several roles in The Lion King in 1994. Won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance in 1997. Was in a serious quad bike accident in 1998 and was in a coma for several days. Played Peeves the Poltergeist in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, but was cut out during editing. In 2005, he was voted by other comedians as being in the top 50 comedy performers of all time. Awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Exeter in 2008. Died of a cardiac arrest after jogging in 2014.