Australian entertainer Barry Humphries, greatest identified for his comedian character Dame Edna Everage, has died aged 89.
The star had been in hospital in Sydney after struggling problems following hip surgical procedure in March. He had a fall in February.
Humphries’ most well-known creation grew to become successful within the UK within the Nineteen Seventies and landed her personal TV chat present, the Dame Edna Everage Expertise, within the late Nineteen Eighties.
His different personas included the lecherous drunk Sir Les Patterson.
In an announcement, his household remembered him as “utterly himself till the very finish, by no means dropping his sensible thoughts, his distinctive wit and generosity of spirit”.
They mentioned Humphries’ followers have been “valuable to him”, and mentioned his characters, “which introduced laughter to thousands and thousands, will dwell on”.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute shortly after the information of Humphries’ dying broke.
“An excellent wit, satirist, author and an absolute one-of-a-kind, he was each gifted and a present,” mentioned Mr. Albanese.
Melbourne-born Humphries moved to London in 1959, showing in West Finish exhibits similar to Maggie Could and Oliver!
Impressed by the absurdist, avant-garde artwork motion Dada, he grew to become a number one determine of the British comedy scene alongside contemporaries like Alan Bennett, Dudley Moore and Spike Milligan.
Broadcaster Dame Joan Bakewell, a buddy of Humphries, instructed the BBC he had an “extraordinarily sensible thoughts”.
“A world during which I haven’t got the friendship of Barry Humphries is basically painful. As a result of he was so resilient and energetic and loving and direct… that is a fantastic absence in my life now,” she mentioned.
Comic Rory Bremner described Humphries as “lightning fast, subversive, mischievous… & savagely humorous” in a tweet.
He mentioned together with his passing “we misplaced an all-time nice”.
Actor and comic Rob Brydon additionally described Humphries as a “true nice who impressed me immeasurably” and mentioned it was a “delight to name him my buddy”.
He mentioned he was with him solely three days in the past, where he was “as ever, making me laugh”.
Australian actor Jason Donovan tweeted a photograph of himself with Dame Edna and mentioned Humphries was “fairly merely an entertaining genius”.
‘Good day possums!’
In 1955, Humphries launched Mrs. Norman Everage, the housewife from Moonee Ponds, a suburb in Melbourne, in a college manufacturing.
It was the primary iteration of the irrepressible character that will outline his profession.
Humphries mentioned his creation was alleged to final solely every week.
As an alternative, it blossomed into Dame Edna, his gaudy, sharp-tongued comedian alter ego who would depart audiences in stitches in Australia and past for many years. He mentioned the character was primarily based on his personal mom.
“Edna was painfully shy at first,” Humphries instructed the Guardian in 2018. “Exhausting to consider!”
She grew to become extra outrageous because the years went on, and was famed for her lilac-rinsed hair, flamboyant glasses and catchphrase: “Good day possums!”
Dame Edna stunned the then Prince Charles and his spouse, Camilla, on the Royal Selection present in 2019 when she sat close to the 2 and joked “they’ve discovered me a greater seat” earlier than transferring in.
Humphries even wrote an autobiography, My Attractive Life, because the character.
His different widespread characters on stage and display screen embody the extra grandfatherly Sandy Stone.
He mentioned of Stone in 2016 that he may “lastly really feel myself turning into him”.
Humphries additionally offered six collection for BBC Radio 2, the most recent being a 3 half collection celebrating 100 years of the BBC.
The commissioning government for Radio 2, Laura Busson, mentioned his collection “Barry Humphries Forgotten Musical Masterpieces” was massively widespread with audiences, and could be printed on BBC Sounds at this time as a tribute to the comic.
The comedian actor, creator, director and scriptwriter, who was additionally a eager panorama painter, introduced a farewell tour for his satirical one-man stage present in 2012. However he returned final yr with a collection of exhibits trying again at his profession.
His different credit embody voicing the shark Bruce within the 2003 Pixar animated movie Discovering Nemo, in addition to appearances within the 1967 comedy Bedazzled, Spice World, The Hobbit and Completely Fabulous: The Film.
Humphries was made an Officer of the Order of Australia, one of many nation’s highest civic honors, in 1982.
Later in his profession, he was criticized for referring to gender affirmation surgical procedure as “self-mutilation” and described transgender identification as a “vogue”.
However his followers in Australia are mourning the lack of a comedy legend.
He was married 4 occasions, and left behind his spouse Lizzie Spender and 4 youngsters.
What are your reminiscences of Barry? Did you ever meet him? Share your recollections by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
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