Barry Humphries
Acting
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.
Known for
Acting110
movieBarry Humphries at the BBC
2023
Self (archive material) / Dame Edna Everage / Sir Les Patterson
movieBarry Humphries - A Life of Laughs
2023
Self (Archive)
movieParkinson at 50
2021
Dame Edna Everage (archive footage)
movieShow of Titles
2021
"Anyone Can Whistle" Performer
movieDame Edna Rules The Waves
2019
Dame Edna Everidge
movieStanding Up for Sunny
2019
Barry Humphries
tvMagical Land of Oz
2019
Narrator (voice)
movieAbsolutely Fabulous: The Movie
2016
Charlie / Dame Edna
movieBlinky Bill the Movie
2015
Wombo (voice)
movieJack Irish: Dead Point
2014
Justice Logan
movieJustin and the Knights of Valour
2013
Braulio (voice)
tvThe Great Comic Relief Bake Off
2013
Contestant (Dame Edna Everage)
movieThe Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
2012
The Great Goblin
movieKath & Kimderella
2012
Dame Edna Everage
movieMary and Max
2009
Narrator (voice)
movieSalvation
2009
Client
movieGaybo Laughs Back
2008
Dame Edna
tvQ&A
2008
Self - Panellist
tvI'd Do Anything
2008
Himself - Judge
movieThe Man Inside Dame Edna
2008
Self/Dame Edna/Les Patterson
movieLittle Britain Down Under
2007
Dame Edna Everage
tvThe One Show
2006
Self / Dame Edna Everage
movieDa Kath & Kim Code
2005
John Monk
movieRemember the Secret Policeman's Ball?
2004
Self - Edna Everage
movieBarry Humphries Presents Back to My Roots and Other Suckers
2003
Sir Les Patterson/Owen Steele/Sandy Stone/Dame Edna Everage
tvQI
2003
Self / Self - Panellist (archive footage)
movieFinding Nemo
2003
Bruce (voice)
movieNicholas Nickleby
2002
Mrs. Crummles/Mr. Leadville
tvHollywood Squares
1998
Self - Panelist
movieWelcome to Woop Woop
1998
Blind Wally
tvParkinson
1998
Dame Edna Everage
movieSpice World
1997
Kevin McMaxford
moviePterodactyl Woman from Beverly Hills
1997
Bert / Lady Shopper / Manager
tvAlly McBeal
1997
Claire Otoms
tvThe View
1997
Self
movieSir Les And The Great Chinese Takeaway
1997
Les Patterson/Dame Edna
movieThe Leading Man
1996
Humphrey Beal
movieNapoleon
1995
Kangaroo (voice)
movieImmortal Beloved
1994
Clemens Metternich
tvThe Team: A Season With McLaren
1993
Dame Edna Everage
tvLate Night with Conan O'Brien
1993
Dame Edna
movieSelling Hitler
1993
Rupert Murdoch
movieJoan Rivers: Abroad in London
1992
Dame Edna Everage
tvThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992
Dame Edna Everage
movieA Late Lunch With Sir Les
1991
Les Patterson
tvDame Edna's Hollywood
1991
Dame Edna Everage
tvBoulevard Bio
1991
Dame Edna
movieA Night on Mount Edna
1990
Dame Edna Everage
movieOne More Audience with Dame Edna Everage
1988
Dame Edna Everage
movieBarry Humphries: This is Your Lunch
1988
Self/Dame Edna
movieThe Marsupials: The Howling III
1987
Academy Award Presenter
movieLes Patterson Saves the World
1987
Sir Les Patterson / Dame Edna Everage
movieAn Aussie Audience with Dame Edna
1986
Dame Edna Everage / Sir Les Patterson / Self
movieAnother Audience with Dame Edna Everage
1984
Dame Edna/Les Patterson
movieDr. Fischer of Geneva
1984
Richard Deane
A Birthday Tribute to Dame Edna Everage
1984
Dame Edna/Sir Les Patterson
tvWogan
1982
Self
movieThe Secret Policeman's Other Ball
1982
Self - Various Roles
movieShock Treatment
1981
Bert Schnick
The Rocky Horror Treatment
1981
(archive footage)
movieSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
1978
Our Guests at Heartland
tvAn Audience with...
1978
Dame Edna Everage / Dame Edna Everage / Sir Les Patterson
movieThe Getting of Wisdom
1977
Rev. Strachey
moviePleasure at Her Majesty's
1976
Edna Everage
tvSaturday Night Live
1975
Dame Edna Everage
movieThe Great MacArthy
1975
Col Ball-Miller
movieSide by Side
1975
Rodney
movieBarry McKenzie Holds His Own
1974
Aunt Edna Everage / Dr. Meyer Delamphrey / Offensive Buck-toothed Englishman / Senator Douglas Manton
moviePercy's Progress
1974
Dr. Anderson / Australian TV Lady
movieThe Adventures of Barry McKenzie
1972
Aunt Edna Everage / Hoot / Dr. DeLamphrey
movieThe Naked Bunyip
1970
Edna Everage
movieThe Bliss of Mrs. Blossom
1968
Mr. Wainwright
tvOmnibus
1967
Sir Les Patterson / Self
tvThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
Dame Edna Everage / Self
