Barry Humphries
Born
February 17, 1934
Died
April 22, 2023 (89 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Camberwell, Melbourne, Australia
John Barry Humphries, AO, CBE (17 February 1934 - 22 April 2023) was an Australian comedian, satirist, dadaist, artist, author and character actor, perhaps best known for his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage, a Melbourne housewife and "gigastar", and Sir Les Patterson, Australia's foul-mouthed cultural attaché to the Court of St. James's.
He was a film producer and script writer, a star of London's West End musical theatre, an award-winning writer and an accomplished landscape painter. For his delivery of dadaist and absurdist humour to millions, biographer Anne Pender described Humphries in 2010 as not only the most significant theatrical figure of our time … [but] the most significant comedian to emerge since Charlie Chaplin. Humphries' characters, especially Dame Edna Everage, have brought him international renown, and he had appeared in numerous films, stage productions and television shows. Originally conceived as a dowdy Moonee Ponds housewife who caricatured Australian suburban complacency and insularity, Edna had evolved over four decades to become a satire of stardom, the gaudily dressed, acid-tongued, egomaniacal, internationally feted Housewife Gigastar, Dame Edna Everage. Humphries' other major satirical character creation was the archetypal Australian bloke Barry McKenzie, who originated as the hero of a comic strip about Australians in London (with drawings by Nicholas Garland) which was first published in Private Eye magazine.
The stories about "Bazza" (Humphries' nickname, as well as an Australian term of endearment for the name Barry) gave wide circulation to Australian slang, particularly jokes about drinking and its consequences (much of which was invented by Humphries), and the character went on to feature in two Australian films, in which he was portrayed by Barry Crocker. Humphries' other satirical characters include the "priapic and inebriated cultural attaché" Sir Les Patterson, who has "continued to bring worldwide discredit upon Australian arts and culture, while contributing as much to the Australian vernacular as he has borrowed from it", gentle, grandfatherly "returned gentleman" Sandy Stone, iconoclastic 1960s underground film-maker Martin Agrippa, Paddington socialist academic Neil Singleton, sleazy trade union official Lance Boyle, high-pressure art salesman Morrie O'Connor and failed tycoon Owen Steele.
Humphries died following complications from hip surgery at St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney on 22 April 2023.
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Barry Humphries: The Last Laugh
Self
2023
Barry Humphries at the BBC
Self (archive material) / Dame Edna Everage / Sir Les Patterson
2023
Parkinson at 50
Dame Edna Everage (archive footage)
2021
Show of Titles
"Anyone Can Whistle" Performer
2021
Dame Edna Rules The Waves
Dame Edna Everidge
2019
Standing Up for Sunny
Barry Humphries
2019
Magical Land of Oz
Narrator (voice) · (3 episodes)
2019
Peter Cook and Dudley Moore: The Missing Sketches
Self
2016
A Granny's Guide to the Modern World
(3 episodes)
2016
Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie
Charlie / Dame Edna
2016
Michael McIntyre's Big Christmas Show
Self
2015
Blinky Bill the Movie
Wombo (voice)
2015
Brilliant Creatures
Self · (2 episodes)
2014
Jack Irish: Dead Point
Justice Logan
2014
Justin and the Knights of Valour
Braulio (voice)
2013
The Great Comic Relief Bake Off
Contestant (Dame Edna Everage) · (1 episode)
2013
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
The Great Goblin
2012
Kath & Kimderella
Dame Edna Everage
2012
A Comedy Roast
(1 episode)
2010
Comedy Rocks with Jason Manford
(1 episode)
2010
Making Mary and Max
Self
2009
Mary and Max
Narrator (voice)
2009
Salvation
Client
2009
We Are Most Amused
Self
2008
Not Quite Hollywood
Self
2008
Q&A
Self - Panellist · (1 episode)
2008
I'd Do Anything
Himself - Judge · (22 episodes)
2008
Who Do You Think You Are?
Self · (1 episode)
2008
Little Britain Down Under
Dame Edna Everage
2007
The Dame Edna Treatment
(6 episodes)
2007
The Graham Norton Show
Self · (1 episode)
2007
It Started with Swap Shop
Self
2006
The One Show
Self · (1 episode)
2006
Betjeman and Me
(1 episode)
2006
The One Show
Dame Edna Everage · (1 episode)
2006
Telling Schoolgirl Tales: The Making of 'The Getting of Wisdom’
Self
2006
Da Kath & Kim Code
John Monk
2005
Remember the Secret Policeman's Ball?
Self - Edna Everage
2004
The Tony Danza Show
Dame Edna · (1 episode)
2004
Barry Humphries Presents Back to My Roots and Other Suckers
Sir Les Patterson/Owen Steele/Sandy Stone/Dame Edna Everage
2003
QI
Self · (1 episode)
2003
Finding Nemo
Bruce (voice)
2003
Micallef Tonight
Self · (1 episode)
2003
Nicholas Nickleby
Mrs. Crummies/Mr. Leadville
2002
Hollywood Squares
(5 episodes)
1998
Welcome to Woop Woop
Blind Wally
1998
Parkinson
Dame Edna Everage · (3 episodes)
1998
Spice World
Kevin McMaxford
1997
Pterodactyl Woman from Beverly Hills
Bert / Lady Shopper / Manager
1997
Ally McBeal
Claire Otoms · (12 episodes)
1997
The View
Self · (1 episode)
1997
The Leading Man
Humphrey Beal
1996
Some Interesting Facts About Peter Cook
Self
1995
Napoleon
Kangaroo (voice)
1995
Immortal Beloved
Clemens Metternich
1994
The Team: A Season With McLaren
Dame Edna Everage · (1 episode)
1993
RTL Samstag Nacht
(1 episode)
1993
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Dame Edna · (1 episode)
1993
Selling Hitler
Rupert Murdoch
1993
Joan Rivers: Abroad in London
Dame Edna Everage
1992
Dame Edna's Neighbourhood Watch
Dame Edna · (12 episodes)
1992
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
(2 episodes)
1992
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Dame Edna Everage · (5 episodes)
1992
Dame Edna's Hollywood
Dame Edna Everage · (3 episodes)
1991
Pebble Mill
Self · (1 episode)
1991
Boulevard Bio
Self · (1 episode)
1991
An Audience with Jackie Mason
1990
One More Audience with Dame Edna Everage
Dame Edna Everage
1988
The Dame Edna Experience
(13 episodes)
1987
Howling III: The Marsupials
Academy Award Presenter
1987
Les Patterson Saves the World
Sir Les Patterson / Dame Edna Everage
1987
An Aussie Audience with Dame Edna
Dame Edna Everage / Sir Les Patterson / Self
1986
Another Audience with Dame Edna Everage
Dame Edna
1984
Dr. Fischer of Geneva
Richard Deane
1984
A (BBC Arena) Birthday Tribute to Dame Edna Everage
Edna Everage
1984
Wogan
Self · (2 episodes)
1982
The Secret Policeman's Other Ball
Self - Various Roles
1982
Shock Treatment
Bert Schnick
1981
The Rocky Horror Treatment
(archive footage)
1981
A Toast to Melbourne
1981
An Audience with Dame Edna Everage
1980
Russell Harty
(1 episode)
1980
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Our Guests at Heartland
1978
The South Bank Show
Self · (1 episode)
1978
An Audience with...
Dame Edna Everage · (2 episodes)
1978
An Audience with...
Dame Edna Everage / Sir Les Patterson · (1 episode)
1978
The Getting of Wisdom
Rev. Strachey
1977
Pleasure at Her Majesty's
Edna Everage
1976
Saturday Night Live
Self - Cameo (uncredited) · (1 episode)
1975
The Great MacArthy
Col Ball-Miller
1975
Side by Side
1975
Barry McKenzie Holds His Own
Aunt Edna Everage / Dr. Meyer Delamphrey / Offensive Buck-toothed Englishman / Senator Douglas Manton
1974
Percy's Progress
Dr. Anderson / Australian TV Lady
1974
The Adventures of Barry McKenzie
Aunt Edna Everage / Hoot / Dr. DeLamphrey
1972
The Naked Bunyip
Edna Everage
1970
The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom
Mr. Wainwright
1968
Bedazzled
Envy
1967
Omnibus
Sir Les Patterson · (1 episode)
1967
Omnibus
Self · (1 episode)
1967
The Wednesday Play
(1 episode)
1964
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Dame Edna Everage · (1 episode)
1962
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self · (1 episode)
1962