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Barry Humphries
Actor, Writer, Producer, Additional Credits
Born February 17, 1934Died April 22, 2023 (89 years)
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.
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.
Known For
Featured Videos
Barry Humphries Filmography
| 2019 | Dame Edna Rules The Waves (TV Series) · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 2019 | Utterly Outrageous Comedy (TV Series) · as Dame Edna |
| 2019 | Magical Land of Oz (TV Series) · as Narrator (voice) |
| 2018 | Terror Nullius · as Cast |
| 2016 | A Granny's Guide to the Modern World (TV Series) |
| 2016 | Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie · as Charlie / Dame Edna |
| 2016 | Dragged · as Dame Edna |
| 2015 | Michael McIntyre's Big Show (TV Series) · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 2015 | Blinky Bill the Movie · as Wombo (voice) |
| 2014 | Jack Irish: Dead Point · as Justice Logan |
| 2013 | Justin and the Knights of Valour · as Braulio (voice) |
| 2013 | The Great Comic Relief Bake Off (TV Series) · as Contestant (dame Edna Everage) |
| 2013 | The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Extended Edition · as Great Goblin |
| 2012 | The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey · as The Great Goblin |
| 2012 | Kath & Kimderella · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 2011 | The Kangaroo Gang (TV Series) · as Narrator |
| 2011 | Chickens (TV Series) · as Headmaster |
| 2011 | Billy T: Te Movie · as Cast |
| 2011 | The Bolt Report (TV Series) · as Sir Les Patterson |
| 2011 | Come in Number Five · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 2010 | The Rob Brydon Show (TV Series) · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 2010 | Paul O'Grady Live (TV Series) · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 2010 | Comedy Rocks (TV Series) |
| 2009 | Andre Rieu: Live in Sydney · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 2009 | The Project (2009) (TV Series) · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 2009 | Mary and Max · as Narrator (voice) |
| 2008 | Salvation · as Client |
| 2007 | The Alan Titchmarsh Show (TV Series) · as Sir Les Patterson |
| 2007 | 'Little Britain' Down Under · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 2007 | The Dame Edna Treatment (TV Series) |
| 2007 | The Adventures of Barry McKenzie: Barry Humphries in 'The Naked Bunyip' · as Edna Everage |
| 2007 | The Adventures of Barry McKenzie: Introduction by Dame Edna Everage · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 2006 | Bubble Guppies (TV Series) · as Bobby |
| 2006 | 9am with David & Kim (TV Series) · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 2005 | Da Kath & Kim Code · as John Monk |
| 2005 | Spicks & Specks (TV Series) · as Dame Edna |
| 2004 | Dancing with the Stars (AU) (TV Series) · as Dame Edna Everage - Guest |
| 2004 | The Tony Danza Show (TV Series) · as Dame Edna |
| 2004 | 101 Biggest Celebrity Oops · as Dame Edna Everage - #84 Things They Shouldn't Have Said |
| 2003 | Dame Edna Live at the Palace · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 2003 | Barry Humphries Presents Back to My Roots and Other Suckers · as Sir Les Patterson/owen Steele/sandy Stone/dame Edna Everage |
| 2003 | Nicole Kidman: An American Cinematheque Tribute · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 2003 | Finding Nemo · as Bruce (voice) |
| 2002 | Nicholas Nickleby · as Mrs. Crummies/mr. Leadville |
| 2002 | Party at the Palace: The Queen's Concerts, Buckingham Palace · as Dame Edna Everage - Host |
| 2001 | Friday Night with Jonathan Ross (TV Series) · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 2001 | The 55th Annual Tony Awards · as Dame Edna - Presenter |
| 2000 | The Crocodile Hunter Diaries (TV Series) · as Dame Edna |
| 2000 | The 54th Annual Tony Awards · as Dame Edna |
| 2000 | Sunrise (TV Series) · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 1999 | ABC 2000: The Millennium · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 1999 | Python Night: 30 Years of Monty Python · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 1999 | Loose Women (TV Series) · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 1999 | Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Australia) (TV Series) · as Dame Edna |
| 1998 | Hollywood Squares (TV Series) |
| 1997 | The Roseanne Show (TV Series) · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 1997 | Welcome to Woop Woop · as Blind Wally |
| 1997 | Spice World · as Kevin Mcmaxford |
| 1997 | Ally McBeal (TV Series) · as Claire Otoms |
| 1996 | The Leading Man · as Humphrey Beal |
| 1996 | The Rosie O'Donnell Show (TV Series) · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 1996 | Pterodactyl Woman from Beverly Hills · as Bert / Lady Shopper / Manager |
| 1995 | Napoleon · as Kangaroo (voice) |
| 1994 | Immortal Beloved · as Clemens Metternich |
| 1993 | RTL Samstag Nacht (DE) (TV Series) |
| 1993 | This Hour Has 22 Minutes (TV Series) · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 1993 | Late Night with Conan O'Brien (TV Series) · as Dame Edna |
| 1992 | Heroes of Comedy (TV Series) · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 1992 | The Big Breakfast (TV Series) · as Les Patterson |
| 1992 | Dame Edna's Neighbourhood Watch (TV Series) · as Dame Edna |
| 1992 | Vicki! (TV Series) · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 1992 | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (TV Series) · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 1991 | Dame Edna's Hollywood (TV Series) · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 1991 | Boulevard Bio (TV Series) · as Dame Edna |
| 1991 | Selling Hitler (TV Series) · as Rupert Murdoch |
| 1990 | A Night on Mount Edna · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 1990 | Lateline (TV Series) · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 1989 | Clive Anderson Talks Back (TV Series) · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 1988 | LIVE with Kelly and Mark (TV Series) · as Dame Edna |
| 1988 | Motormouth (1988) (TV Series) · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 1988 | Comic Relief · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 1987 | Howling III · as Academy Award Presenter |
| 1987 | The Dame Edna Experience (TV Series) |
| 1987 | Les Patterson Saves the World · as Sir Les Patterson / Dame Edna Everage |
| 1986 | The Story of English (TV Series) · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 1985 | Saturday Live (TV Series) · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 1984 | Another Audience with Dame Edna Everage · as Dame Edna/les Patterson |
| 1984 | |
| 1984 | Dr. Fischer of Geneva · as Richard Deane |
| 1981 | Shock Treatment · as Bert Schnick |
| 1980 | An Audience with Dame Edna Everage · as Dame Edna |
| 1979 | Friday Night Saturday Morning (TV Series) · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 1978 | Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band · as Our Guests At Heartland |
| 1978 | An Audience With (TV Series) · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 1977 | The Getting of Wisdom · as Rev. Strachey |
| 1977 | 'Guess Who's Mum's Got A Whirlpool' Television Commercials · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 1976 | Pleasure at Her Majesty's · as Edna Everage |
| 1976 | Multi-Coloured Swap Shop (TV Series) · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 1975 | Arena (1975) (TV Series) · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 1975 | The Great MacArthy · as Col Ball-Miller |
| 1975 | Side by Side · as Rodney |
| 1974 | Harty (TV Series) · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 1974 | Barry McKenzie Holds His Own · as Aunt Edna Everage / Dr. Meyer Delamphrey / Offensive Buck-Toothed Englishman / Senator Douglas Manton |
| 1974 | It's Not the Size That Counts · as Dr. Anderson / Australian Tv Lady |
| 1972 | The Adventures of Barry McKenzie · as Aunt Edna Everage / Hoot / Dr. Delamphrey |
| 1971 | Parkinson (TV Series) · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 1970 | The Naked Bunyip · as Edna Everage |
| 1968 | The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom · as Mr. Wainwright |
| 1967 | Bedazzled · as Envy |
| 1967 | Omnibus (1967) (TV Series) · as Sir Les Patterson |
| 1965 | Not Only... But Also (TV Series) · as In 'poets Cornered' |
| 1964 | The Wednesday Play (TV Series) |
| 1964 | Top of the Pops (TV Series) · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 1962 | The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson (TV Series) · as Dame Edna Everage |
| 1955 | This is Your Life (UK) (TV Series) · as Filmed Tribute |
| 2023 | Barry Humphries: The Last Laugh · as Self |
| 2022 | Kath and Kim: Our Effluent Life (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2021 | Rick Stein's Cornwall (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2019 | Standing Up for Sunny · as Barry Humphries |
| 2015 | Stop Laughing... This Is Serious (TV Series) · as Self - Entertainer |
| 2014 | Rebels of Oz: Germaine, Clive, Barry and Bob (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2013 | Portrait Artist of the Year (TV Series) · as Self - Sitter |
| 2013 | The Last Impresario · as Self - Interviewee |
| 2011 | The Jonathan Ross Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2011 | One Plus One (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 2011 | Adam Hills in Gordon St Tonight (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2011 | Piers Morgan Tonight (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2010 | The Talk (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2009 | Alan Carr: Chatty Man (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2008 | |
| 2008 | Q+A (TV Series) · as Self - Panellist |
| 2008 | I'd Do Anything (TV Series) · as Himself - Judge |
| 2008 | Who Do You Think You Are? (AU) (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2007 | 100 Greatest Stand-Ups · as Self |
| 2007 | The Graham Norton Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2006 | The ONE Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2006 | |
| 2005 | The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2004 | The Paul O'Grady Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2004 | |
| 2003 | |
| 2003 | QI (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2003 | Micallef Tonight (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2003 | Enough Rope with Andrew Denton (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2002 | The Osbournes (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2001 | Saturday Kitchen (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1999 | Barry Humphries' Flashbacks (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1998 | The Panel (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1997 | The View (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1995 | The Celluloid Heroes (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1988 | This Morning (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1987 | Biography (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1986 | The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1985 | American Masters (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1982 | The Secret Policeman's Other Ball · as Self - Various Roles |
| 1982 | Today (Australia) (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1982 | Wogan (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1979 | Parkinson in Australia (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1978 | The South Bank Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1975 | Saturday Night Live (TV Series) · as Self - Cameo (uncredited) |
| 1972 | Pebble Mill at One (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1965 | The Australian Londoners · as Self |
| 1964 | Late Night Line-Up (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1958 | Monitor (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2016 | A Granny's Guide to the Modern World (TV Series) |
| 2003 | |
| 1999 | Barry Humphries' Flashbacks (TV Series) |
| 1992 | Dame Edna's Neighbourhood Watch (TV Series) |
| 1991 | Dame Edna's Hollywood (TV Series) |
| 1987 | The Dame Edna Experience (TV Series) |
| 1987 | |
| 1984 | |
| 1980 | |
| 1976 | |
| 1974 | |
| 1972 |
| 1991 | Dame Edna's Hollywood (TV Series) · as Executive Producer |
| 2007 | The Dame Edna Treatment (TV Series) · as Written By |