The reason why Rik Mayall was cut from the ‘Harry Potter’ franchise
The Harry Potter film franchise, now over 20 years old, smartly adhered to its British roots and resisted Americanisation. When JK Rowling signed over the rights, she made one condition abundantly clear: it was to remain set in the UK and make use of our rich pool of talented British actors.
Over the course of the next eight films, beloved acting legends and national treasures from all over the British Isles would appear in roles ranging from delightful cameos to substantial and pivotal parts. For The Young Ones actor Rik Mayall, however, his contribution to the series never saw the light of day.
Mayall, also known for his work on Blackadder, Drop Dead Fred and Bottom, played an integral and defining part in the renewed British comedy scene that began in the late 1980s and really took off in the 1990s. In keeping with other Harry Potter cameos, it would have made perfect sense for a comedian like him to appear. As it turns out, Mayall was indeed considered for the movie adaptations and even spent three weeks shooting on location in the role of a beloved Harry Potter character that fans unfortunately never got to see: Peeves the Poltergeist.
Fans of the books generally hold the film adaptations in high regard, but the omitting of this fan-favourite ruffled many a feather, causing great confusion as to why the decision was made. During a behind-the-scenes promo for his 2011 horror film Evil Calls: The Raven, the actor divulged some information regarding his brief stint on the popular magical franchise, explaining how, despite a substantial lack of interest and enthusiasm for the books, he agreed to come aboard the films and spent three weeks filming on location.
“I got sent off the set,” Mayall confirmed, adding how every time the crew went to film a scene with him, he would end up making the child actors portraying Hogwarts students laugh. Ultimately, despite trying various alternatives such as having his “back to the rest of the cast” so that they couldn’t see his face and using an additional voice actor to provide “a different voice”, it would seem that the producers gave up on trying to work the production around Mayall’s instinctively funny demeanour.
Peeves, known for his ghostly ability to fly around and his trademark style of jester clothing, was an integral character in the books who played a significant role in every title. So, if all had gone to plan, each further entry in the series should have seen a part and paycheck for Mayall, much like John Cleese’s recurring character, ‘Nearly Headless Nick’. Despite this, several months after returning from the shoot, Mayall received a call telling him he’d been cut from the film. He did, however, receive the payment, which he humorously confirmed to be “significant”.
Whilst the loss of Peeves to the film was great, and the loss of a comedy institution like Mayall even greater, news of HBO’s upcoming television adaptation of Rowling’s book series can give fans some hope that the newest live-action version will feature one of the series’ more colourful supporting characters.
