Acting · Camberwell, Melbourne, Australia · Born February 17, 1934
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.
MovieBarry Humphries: The Last Laugh
2023
as Self
MovieBarry Humphries at the BBC
2023
as Self (archive material) / Dame Edna Everage / Sir Les Patterson
MovieBarry Humphries - A Life of Laughs
2023
as Self (Archive)
MovieParkinson at 50
2021
as Dame Edna Everage (archive footage)
MovieShow of Titles
2021
as "Anyone Can Whistle" Performer
MovieDame Edna Rules The Waves
2019
as Dame Edna Everidge
MovieStanding Up for Sunny
2019
as Barry Humphries
TVMagical Land of Oz
2019
as Narrator (voice)
Peter Cook and Dudley Moore: The Missing Sketches
2016
as Self
TVA Granny's Guide to the Modern World
2016
MovieAbsolutely Fabulous: The Movie
2016
as Charlie / Dame Edna
MovieMichael McIntyre's Big Christmas Show
2015
as Self
MovieBlinky Bill the Movie
2015
as Wombo (voice)
TVBrilliant Creatures
2014
as Self
MovieThe Last Impresario
2014
as Self
MovieJack Irish: Dead Point
2014
as Justice Logan
MovieJustin and the Knights of Valour
2013
as Braulio (voice)
TVThe Great Comic Relief Bake Off
2013
as Contestant (Dame Edna Everage)
MovieThe Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
2012
as The Great Goblin
MovieKath & Kimderella
2012
as Dame Edna Everage
A Comedy Roast
2010
Comedy Rocks with Jason Manford
2010
MovieMaking Mary and Max
2009
as Self
MovieMary and Max
2009
as Narrator (voice)
MovieSalvation
2009
as Client
MovieWe Are Most Amused
2008
as Self
MovieGaybo Laughs Back
2008
as Dame Edna
MovieNot Quite Hollywood
2008
as Self
TVQ&A
2008
as Self - Panellist
TVI'd Do Anything
2008
as Himself - Judge
TVWho Do You Think You Are?
2008
as Self
MovieThe Man Inside Dame Edna
2008
as Self/Dame Edna/Les Patterson
MovieLittle Britain Down Under
2007
as Dame Edna Everage
TVThe Dame Edna Treatment
2007
TVThe Graham Norton Show
2007
as Self
MovieIt Started with Swap Shop
2006
as Self
TVThe One Show
2006
as Self
Betjeman and Me
2006
Telling Schoolgirl Tales: The Making of 'The Getting of Wisdom’
2006
as Self
MovieDa Kath & Kim Code
2005
as John Monk
MovieRemember the Secret Policeman's Ball?
2004
as Self - Edna Everage
The Tony Danza Show
2004
as Dame Edna
MovieBarry Humphries Presents Back to My Roots and Other Suckers
2003
as Sir Les Patterson/Owen Steele/Sandy Stone/Dame Edna Everage
TVQI
2003
as Self
MovieFinding Nemo
2003
as Bruce (voice)
TVMicallef Tonight
2003
as Self
MovieNicholas Nickleby
2002
as Mrs. Crummles/Mr. Leadville
TVThe Osbournes
2002
as Self
TVHollywood Squares
1998
as Self - Panelist
MovieWelcome to Woop Woop
1998
as Blind Wally
TVParkinson
1998
as Dame Edna Everage
MovieSpice World
1997
as Kevin McMaxford
MoviePterodactyl Woman from Beverly Hills
1997
as Bert / Lady Shopper / Manager
TVAlly McBeal
1997
as Claire Otoms
TVThe View
1997
as Self
MovieSir Les And The Great Chinese Takeaway
1997
as Les Patterson/Dame Edna
MovieThe Leading Man
1996
as Humphrey Beal
MovieLes Patterson 'Has A Stand Up' - Live & Rampant
1996
as Les Patterson
MovieSome Interesting Facts About Peter Cook
1995
as Self
MovieNapoleon
1995
as Kangaroo (voice)
MovieImmortal Beloved
1994
as Clemens Metternich
TVThe Team: A Season With McLaren
1993
as Dame Edna Everage
TVRTL Samstag Nacht
1993
TVLate Night with Conan O'Brien
1993
as Dame Edna
MovieSelling Hitler
1993
as Rupert Murdoch
MovieJoan Rivers: Abroad in London
1992
as Dame Edna Everage
TVDame Edna's Neighbourhood Watch
1992
as Dame Edna
TVThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992
MovieA Late Lunch With Sir Les
1991
as Les Patterson
TVDame Edna's Hollywood
1991
as Dame Edna Everage
Pebble Mill
1991
as Self
TVBoulevard Bio
1991
as Dame Edna
MovieAn Audience with Jackie Mason
1990
MovieA Night on Mount Edna
1990
as Dame Edna Everage
MovieOne More Audience with Dame Edna Everage
1988
as Dame Edna Everage
MovieBarry Humphries: This is Your Lunch
1988
as Self/Dame Edna
TVThe Dame Edna Experience
1987
MovieThe Marsupials: The Howling III
1987
as Academy Award Presenter
MovieLes Patterson Saves the World
1987
as Sir Les Patterson / Dame Edna Everage
MovieAn Aussie Audience with Dame Edna
1986
as Dame Edna Everage / Sir Les Patterson / Self
MovieAnother Audience with Dame Edna Everage
1984
as Dame Edna/Les Patterson
MovieRoyal Variety Performance 1984
1984
MovieDr. Fischer of Geneva
1984
as Richard Deane
A Birthday Tribute to Dame Edna Everage
1984
as Dame Edna/Sir Les Patterson
TVWogan
1982
as Self
MovieThe Secret Policeman's Other Ball
1982
as Self - Various Roles
MovieShock Treatment
1981
as Bert Schnick
The Rocky Horror Treatment
1981
as (archive footage)
MovieA Toast to Melbourne
1981
MovieAn Audience with Dame Edna Everage
1980
as Dame Edna
Russell Harty
1980
TVFriday Night, Saturday Morning
1979
MovieSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
1978
as Our Guests at Heartland
TVThe South Bank Show
1978
as Self
TVAn Audience with...
1978
as Dame Edna Everage
MovieThe Getting of Wisdom
1977
as Rev. Strachey
MoviePleasure at Her Majesty's
1976
as Edna Everage
TVSaturday Night Live
1975
as Dame Edna Everage
MovieThe Great MacArthy
1975
as Col Ball-Miller
MovieSide by Side
1975
as Rodney
MovieBarry McKenzie Holds His Own
1974
as Aunt Edna Everage / Dr. Meyer Delamphrey / Offensive Buck-toothed Englishman / Senator Douglas Manton
MoviePercy's Progress
1974
as Dr. Anderson / Australian TV Lady
MovieThe Adventures of Barry McKenzie
1972
as Aunt Edna Everage / Hoot / Dr. DeLamphrey
MovieThe Naked Bunyip
1970
as Edna Everage
MovieThe Bliss of Mrs. Blossom
1968
as Mr. Wainwright
MovieBedazzled
1967
as Envy
TVOmnibus
1967
as Sir Les Patterson
TVThe Wednesday Play
1964
TVThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
as Dame Edna Everage
Le Bain Vorace (Dial P for Plughole)
1954
