Australian comedian and entertainer Barry Humphries is dead. He died at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, where he was being treated for various health conditions, on Saturday (22 April) at the age of 89, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. “He was himself to the end and never lost his brilliant mind, unique wit and generosity,” his family said in a statement.
“With over 70 years on stage, he was an entertainer through and through, touring until the last year of his life and planning further shows that unfortunately will never happen,” it continues. In addition to his work in the theater, he was also a painter, author, poet and a “collector and lover of art in all its forms”. He was also a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather and, to many, a friend and confidant. “His death leaves a void in so many lives. The characters he created, who made millions laugh, will live on.”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, 60, tweeted: “For 89 years, Barry Humphries entertained us through a galaxy of personalities, from Dame Edna to Sandy Stone. But the brightest star in this galaxy has always been Barry. A great comedian, satirist, writer and an absolute one-of-a-kind, he was talented and a gift at the same time. May he rest in peace.”
Humphries, who was born in Melbourne in 1934, became known mainly thanks to his fictional character Dame Edna Everage. As a drag queen, Humphries presented numerous TV programs in his native Australia, but also in Great Britain, especially in the 80s and 90s. The comedian also had guest appearances as Dame Edna with the typical purple hair and oversized, bizarre glasses in the cult series “Ally McBeal” or in the comedy show “RTL Saturday Night”. His other well-known fictional characters included Barry McKenzie and Sir Les Patterson. In 2007 the artist was honored with the British Order of Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
For months, Humphries had been dealing with complications from a hip surgery. The comedian himself gave an extensive interview to the “Sydney Morning Herald” in February 2023 and also revealed that he had tripped and fallen. This fall made hip surgery inevitable. According to the newspaper, Humphries is survived by his fourth wife, Lizziespender, four children and ten grandchildren.
