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Barry Humphries

Acting 89 (deceased) years old Camberwell, Melbourne, Australia ★ 2.9
Born: February 17, 1934
Died: April 22, 2023

Biography

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.

External Links

🎬 IMDb

Known For

Hollywood Squares
Hollywood Squares Self - Panelist 1998
The One Show
The One Show Dame Edna Everage 2006
Finding Nemo
Finding Nemo Bruce (voice) 2003
QI
QI Self - Panellist (archive footage) 2003
Q&A
Q&A Self - Panellist 2008

Filmography

Acting Credits (113)

Barry Humphries: The Last Laugh
Barry Humphries: The Last Laugh Self 2023
Barry Humphries at the BBC
Barry Humphries at the BBC Self (archive material) / Dame Edna Everage / Sir Les Patterson 2023
Barry Humphries - A Life of Laughs
Barry Humphries - A Life of Laughs Self (Archive) 2023
Parkinson at 50
Parkinson at 50 Dame Edna Everage (archive footage) 2021
Show of Titles
Show of Titles "Anyone Can Whistle" Performer 2021
Dame Edna Rules The Waves
Dame Edna Rules The Waves Dame Edna Everidge 2019
Standing Up for Sunny
Standing Up for Sunny Barry Humphries 2019
Magical Land of Oz
Magical Land of Oz Narrator (voice) 2019
Peter Cook and Dudley Moore: The Missing Sketches
Peter Cook and Dudley Moore: The Missing Sketches Self 2016
A Granny's Guide to the Modern World
A Granny's Guide to the Modern World 2016
Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie
Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie Charlie / Dame Edna 2016
Michael McIntyre's Big Christmas Show
Michael McIntyre's Big Christmas Show Self 2015
Blinky Bill the Movie
Blinky Bill the Movie Wombo (voice) 2015
Brilliant Creatures
Brilliant Creatures Self 2014
Jack Irish: Dead Point
Jack Irish: Dead Point Justice Logan 2014
Justin and the Knights of Valour
Justin and the Knights of Valour Braulio (voice) 2013
The Great Comic Relief Bake Off
The Great Comic Relief Bake Off Contestant (Dame Edna Everage) 2013
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey The Great Goblin 2012
Kath & Kimderella
Kath & Kimderella Dame Edna Everage 2012
A Comedy Roast
A Comedy Roast 2010
Comedy Rocks with Jason Manford
Comedy Rocks with Jason Manford 2010
Making Mary and Max
Making Mary and Max Self 2009
Mary and Max
Mary and Max Narrator (voice) 2009
Salvation
Salvation Client 2009
We Are Most Amused
We Are Most Amused Self 2008
Gaybo Laughs Back
Gaybo Laughs Back Dame Edna 2008
Not Quite Hollywood
Not Quite Hollywood Self 2008
Q&A
Q&A Self - Panellist 2008
I'd Do Anything
I'd Do Anything Himself - Judge 2008
Who Do You Think You Are?
Who Do You Think You Are? Self 2008
The Man Inside Dame Edna
The Man Inside Dame Edna Self/Dame Edna/Les Patterson 2008
Little Britain Down Under
Little Britain Down Under Dame Edna Everage 2007
The Dame Edna Treatment
The Dame Edna Treatment 2007
The Graham Norton Show
The Graham Norton Show Self 2007
It Started with Swap Shop
It Started with Swap Shop Self 2006
The One Show
The One Show Self 2006
Betjeman and Me
Betjeman and Me 2006
The One Show
The One Show Dame Edna Everage 2006
Telling Schoolgirl Tales: The Making of 'The Getting of Wisdom’
Telling Schoolgirl Tales: The Making of 'The Getting of Wisdom’ Self 2006
Da Kath & Kim Code
Da Kath & Kim Code John Monk 2005
Remember the Secret Policeman's Ball?
Remember the Secret Policeman's Ball? Self - Edna Everage 2004
The Tony Danza Show
The Tony Danza Show Dame Edna 2004
Barry Humphries Presents Back to My Roots and Other Suckers
Barry Humphries Presents Back to My Roots and Other Suckers Sir Les Patterson/Owen Steele/Sandy Stone/Dame Edna Everage 2003
QI
QI Self 2003
QI
QI Self - Panellist (archive footage) 2003
Finding Nemo
Finding Nemo Bruce (voice) 2003
Micallef Tonight
Micallef Tonight Self 2003
Nicholas Nickleby
Nicholas Nickleby Mrs. Crummles/Mr. Leadville 2002
The Osbournes
The Osbournes Self 2002
Hollywood Squares
Hollywood Squares Self - Panelist 1998
Welcome to Woop Woop
Welcome to Woop Woop Blind Wally 1998
Parkinson
Parkinson Dame Edna Everage 1998
Spice World
Spice World Kevin McMaxford 1997
Pterodactyl Woman from Beverly Hills
Pterodactyl Woman from Beverly Hills Bert / Lady Shopper / Manager 1997
Ally McBeal
Ally McBeal Claire Otoms 1997
The View
The View Self 1997
Sir Les And The Great Chinese Takeaway
Sir Les And The Great Chinese Takeaway Les Patterson/Dame Edna 1997
The Leading Man
The Leading Man Humphrey Beal 1996
Les Patterson 'Has A Stand Up' - Live & Rampant
Les Patterson 'Has A Stand Up' - Live & Rampant Les Patterson 1996
Some Interesting Facts About Peter Cook
Some Interesting Facts About Peter Cook Self 1995
Napoleon
Napoleon Kangaroo (voice) 1995
Immortal Beloved
Immortal Beloved Clemens Metternich 1994
The Team: A Season With McLaren
The Team: A Season With McLaren Dame Edna Everage 1993
RTL Samstag Nacht
RTL Samstag Nacht 1993
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien Dame Edna 1993
Selling Hitler
Selling Hitler Rupert Murdoch 1993
Joan Rivers: Abroad in London
Joan Rivers: Abroad in London Dame Edna Everage 1992
Dame Edna's Neighbourhood Watch
Dame Edna's Neighbourhood Watch Dame Edna 1992
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno 1992
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Dame Edna Everage 1992
A Late Lunch With Sir Les
A Late Lunch With Sir Les Les Patterson 1991
Dame Edna's Hollywood
Dame Edna's Hollywood Dame Edna Everage 1991
Pebble Mill
Pebble Mill Self 1991
Boulevard Bio
Boulevard Bio Dame Edna 1991
An Audience with Jackie Mason
An Audience with Jackie Mason 1990
A Night on Mount Edna
A Night on Mount Edna Dame Edna Everage 1990
One More Audience with Dame Edna Everage
One More Audience with Dame Edna Everage Dame Edna Everage 1988
Barry Humphries: This is Your Lunch
Barry Humphries: This is Your Lunch Self/Dame Edna 1988
The Dame Edna Experience
The Dame Edna Experience 1987
Howling III: The Marsupials
Howling III: The Marsupials Academy Award Presenter 1987
Les Patterson Saves the World
Les Patterson Saves the World Sir Les Patterson / Dame Edna Everage 1987
An Aussie Audience with Dame Edna
An Aussie Audience with Dame Edna Dame Edna Everage / Sir Les Patterson / Self 1986
Another Audience with Dame Edna Everage
Another Audience with Dame Edna Everage Dame Edna/Les Patterson 1984
Royal Variety Performance 1984
Royal Variety Performance 1984 1984
Dr. Fischer of Geneva
Dr. Fischer of Geneva Richard Deane 1984
A Birthday Tribute to Dame Edna Everage
A Birthday Tribute to Dame Edna Everage Dame Edna/Sir Les Patterson 1984
Wogan
Wogan Self 1982
The Secret Policeman's Other Ball
The Secret Policeman's Other Ball Self - Various Roles 1982
Shock Treatment
Shock Treatment Bert Schnick 1981
The Rocky Horror Treatment
The Rocky Horror Treatment (archive footage) 1981
A Toast to Melbourne
A Toast to Melbourne 1981
An Audience with Dame Edna Everage
An Audience with Dame Edna Everage Dame Edna 1980
Russell Harty
Russell Harty 1980
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Our Guests at Heartland 1978
The South Bank Show
The South Bank Show Self 1978
An Audience with...
An Audience with... Dame Edna Everage 1978
An Audience with...
An Audience with... Dame Edna Everage / Sir Les Patterson 1978
The Getting of Wisdom
The Getting of Wisdom Rev. Strachey 1977
Pleasure at Her Majesty's
Pleasure at Her Majesty's Edna Everage 1976
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live Dame Edna Everage 1975
The Great MacArthy
The Great MacArthy Col Ball-Miller 1975
Side by Side
Side by Side Rodney 1975
Barry McKenzie Holds His Own
Barry McKenzie Holds His Own Aunt Edna Everage / Dr. Meyer Delamphrey / Offensive Buck-toothed Englishman / Senator Douglas Manton 1974
Percy's Progress
Percy's Progress Dr. Anderson / Australian TV Lady 1974
The Adventures of Barry McKenzie
The Adventures of Barry McKenzie Aunt Edna Everage / Hoot / Dr. DeLamphrey 1972
The Naked Bunyip
The Naked Bunyip Edna Everage 1970
The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom
The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom Mr. Wainwright 1968
Bedazzled
Bedazzled Envy 1967
Omnibus
Omnibus Sir Les Patterson 1967
Omnibus
Omnibus Self 1967
The Wednesday Play
The Wednesday Play 1964
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Dame Edna Everage 1962
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Self 1962

Writing Credits (9)

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