
Barry Humphries
Born: 1934-02-17
From: Camberwell, Melbourne, Australia
About: 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.

The Adventures of Barry McKenzie
Aunt Edna Everage / Hoot / Dr. DeLamphrey
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Barry McKenzie Holds His Own
Aunt Edna Everage / Dr. Meyer Delamphrey / Offensive Buck-toothed Englishman / Senator Douglas Manton
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Remember the Secret Policeman's Ball?
Self - Edna Everage
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Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Our Guests at Heartland
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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
The Great Goblin
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Another Audience with Dame Edna Everage
Dame Edna/Les Patterson
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Barry Humphries at the BBC
Self (archive material) / Dame Edna Everage / Sir Les Patterson
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Pleasure at Her Majesty's
Edna Everage
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The Secret Policeman's Other Ball
Self - Various Roles
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Percy's Progress
Dr. Anderson / Australian TV Lady
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Some Interesting Facts About Peter Cook
Self
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Justin and the Knights of Valour
Braulio (voice)
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Barry Humphries Presents Back to My Roots and Other Suckers
Sir Les Patterson/Owen Steele/Sandy Stone/Dame Edna Everage
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Parkinson at 50
Dame Edna Everage (archive footage)
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An Audience with Dame Edna Everage
Dame Edna
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One More Audience with Dame Edna Everage
Dame Edna Everage
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Les Patterson Saves the World
Sir Les Patterson / Dame Edna Everage
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Dame Edna Rules The Waves
Dame Edna Everidge
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Pterodactyl Woman from Beverly Hills
Bert / Lady Shopper / Manager
Show InfoTelling Schoolgirl Tales: The Making of 'The Getting of Wisdom’
Self
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An Aussie Audience with Dame Edna
Dame Edna Everage / Sir Les Patterson / Self
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Nicholas Nickleby
Mrs. Crummles/Mr. Leadville
Show InfoPeter Cook and Dudley Moore: The Missing Sketches
Self
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Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie
Charlie / Dame Edna
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Michael McIntyre's Big Christmas Show
Self
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Joan Rivers: Abroad in London
Dame Edna Everage
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Standing Up for Sunny
Barry Humphries
Show InfoA Birthday Tribute to Dame Edna Everage
Dame Edna/Sir Les Patterson
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The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom
Mr. Wainwright
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Howling III: The Marsupials
Academy Award Presenter
Show InfoThe Rocky Horror Treatment
(archive footage)
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Show of Titles
"Anyone Can Whistle" Performer
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Little Britain Down Under
Dame Edna Everage
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Les Patterson 'Has A Stand Up' - Live & Rampant
Les Patterson
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The Man Inside Dame Edna
Self/Dame Edna/Les Patterson
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Barry Humphries - A Life of Laughs
Self (Archive)
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Sir Les And The Great Chinese Takeaway
Les Patterson/Dame Edna
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A Late Lunch With Sir Les
Les Patterson
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Barry Humphries: This is Your Lunch
Self/Dame Edna
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A Night on Mount Edna
Dame Edna Everage
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