Mayalls only shot at moving past the parochial world of British television came with his eponymous role in 1991 comic fantasy feature film Drop Dead Fred. The whole thing is on YouTube, but heres one of our favourite scenes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-g5vDS-oDI Playing the frenetic, profane and mischievous imaginary childhood friend of Phoebe Cates Elizabeth, returned to cheer her up when she suffers an emotional crisis after being abandoned by her husband, Mayall was by turns playful, sweet and endearing, as well as his usual lunatic self. Fred causes havoc in Elizabeths life, but also helps her to realise that she can move out from the shadow of her controlling mother and be her own person. The role needed someone of Mayalls considerable maverick sensibilities to pull off the required mayhem, and in many ways the character of Drop Dead Fred was a precursor to the chaotic man-child with a heart of gold that Adam Sandler and Jim Carrey would find fame portraying in later years. A reasonable hit overseas, the film was Working Titles first financial success, allowing the production company to move on to greater and greater things, including making the career of Richard Curtis with Four Weddings And A Funeral, Notting Hill and Love Actually, and bringing Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright their big-screen successes with Shaun Of The Dead, Hot Fuzz and The Worlds End. Sadly, the films legacy didnt extend to Mayalls career. Despite his top-lining status as the engine that made the film run, he was to return to the UK and his television partnership with Ade Edmondson
Professional writer, punk werewolf and nesting place for starfish. Obsessed with squid, spirals and story. I publish short weird fiction online at desincarne.com, and tweet nonsense under the name Jack The Bodiless. You can follow me all you like, just don't touch my stuff.
