Rik Mayall - the legendary British comedian who died expectantly aged 56 this week - filmed scenes for Harry Potter & The Philosopher's Stone but was cut from the final version. In an interview that's turned up online since his death, Mayall revealed that he'd been cast as Peeves the poltergeist - which was due to be a recurring role in the monster franchise.

Rik MayallRik Mayall was in Harry Potter, for 3 weeks.

Mayall, who started off the anecdote by asserting, "the film, with respect ... no, with no respect at all... the film was sh*t", explained, "I did it, I went and f*cking did it. I played the part of Peeves in Harry Potter. I got sent off the set because every time I tried to do a bit of acting, all the lads who were playing the school kids kept getting the giggles, they kept corpsing, so they threw me off."

Continuing, he added: "...they asked me to do it with my back to them and they still laughed. So they asked me to do it around the other side of the cathedral and shout my lines, but they still laughed so they said they'd do my lines with someone else."

More: Remembering Rik Mayall - forever a 'Young One' who changed British comedy

After completing filming, Mayall got a call 3 weeks later saying he'd been axed from the final cut. "I was in the film for around three weeks... but I still got the money. So that is the most exciting film I've ever been in, because I got the oodle and I wasn't in it. Fantastic," he joked.

Rik MayallAde Edmonson [L] and Rik Mayall [R] 

Later, director Chis Columbus revealed that Mayall's scenes were cut because they weren't happy with the design of Peeves. The scenes have not, to date, seen the light of day. We imagine they'll eventually be included in some monster Harry Potter box-set.

Mayall - best known for his comedy TV shows 'Bottom' and 'The Young Ones' - seemed "happy and healthy" just moments before he died on Monday (June 9, 2014). Peter Richardson, 62, a family friend of Mayall's, described how his son had been with Mayall just half an hour before the actor died.

Speaking to BBC News, Richardson said: "We still don't know quite what happened, but it was a seizure of some sort. It was very quick."

More: Rik Mayall dead at 56: tributes roll in

More: watch the full interview of Rik Mayall discussing Harry Potter