Barry Humphries

92 years old 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.

Recent movies

# Name Character Rating
1 Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie (2016) Charlie / Dame Edna 6.4
2 Blinky Bill the Movie (2015) Wombo (voice) 7
3 Jack Irish: Dead Point (2014) Justice Logan 9
4 Justin and the Knights of Valour (2013) Braulio (voice) 5.8
5 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
Top 100 by FilmGator 		The Great Goblin 8
6 Kath & Kimderella (2012) Dame Edna Everage 6.5
7 Mary and Max (2009)
Top 30 in 2000s 		Narrator (voice) 8.1
8 Not Quite Hollywood (2008) Self 7
9 Da Kath & Kim Code (2005) John Monk 9
10 Finding Nemo (2003)
Top 100 by FilmGator 		Bruce (voice) 8.1
11 Nicholas Nickleby (2002) Mrs. Crummles/Mr. Leadville 7.5
12 Welcome to Woop Woop (1998) Blind Wally -
13 Spice World (1997) Kevin McMaxford 5.5
14 The Leading Man (1996) Humphrey Beal -
15 Immortal Beloved (1994) Clemens Metternich 8
16 The Marsupials: The Howling III (1987) Academy Award Presenter 5
17 The Secret Policeman's Other Ball (1982) Self - Various Roles 6
18 The Rocky Horror Treatment (1981) (archive footage) -
19 Shock Treatment (1981) Bert Schnick 5
20 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978) Our Guests at Heartland 8
21 The Getting of Wisdom (1977) Rev. Strachey 7
22 Percy's Progress (1974) Dr. Anderson / Australian TV Lady -
23 The Adventures of Barry McKenzie (1972) Director / Writer 6
24 Bedazzled (1967) Envy 7