Elizabeth Spender is the wife of Barry Humphries, Australian comedian Barry Humphries, best known for his drag character Dame Edna Everage, has died aged 89. “He was completely himself to the end, he never lost his brilliant mind, his unique wit, and his generosity of spirit,” his family said in a statement.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute in a tweet, calling him “a great wit, satirist, writer and utterly unique.” He followed with a tribute statement, calling Humphries a great Australian and a comic genius.
“He is one of the most beloved Australians and I pay tribute to him today, for his enormous contribution to Australia,” Albanese said at a news conference in Brisbane.
“Barry Humphries, throughout his 89 years, made a huge contribution to Australia and also showed that unique Australian sense of humor to the world,” added Albanese.
The artist had been readmitted to the hospital on Wednesday for complications following hip surgery last month, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Humphries had a hip replaced after a fall in February.
Born in Melbourne, Australia in 1934, Humphries created the character of housewife Edna Everage in 1955 as a social satire. The character became a huge hit in the 1970s when Humphries brought the act to London’s West End and appeared in a large number of productions, television shows, and talk shows.
Before Edna made it big, Humphries appeared in numerous West End productions, including “Oliver” and “Maggie Way” in the 1960s. Known for her lilac hair, diamond-encrusted cat glasses, and catchphrases like “Hello, possums!”, Edna quickly became a national treasure.
Throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, Humphries landed a series of television shows, specials, and movies, including Dame Edna and her other alter-egos Les Patterson and Sandy Stone, including Dame Edna. Experience in 1987.
Humphries, whose illustrious career spanned more than 60 years, has received several honors. In 1982 Humphries was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (OA) for his services to the theater and in 2007 the Queen made him a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his contribution to the arts.
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In 2000, Humphries won a special Tony Award for his Broadway show “Dame Edna, The Royal Tour,” officially breaking into the American market. He also appeared as Edna in the American drama “Ally McBeal” in 2001.
An actor, director, and screenwriter, Humphries was also the author of several books, novels, autobiographies, and plays, and was an enthusiastic landscape painter.
In 2011, Humphries appeared on CNN as Dame Edna alongside Piers Morgan to provide commentary on the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, saying, “I’m a little bored.”
Humphries toured the UK in 2022, then aged 88, recounting his life stories and inspirations from him in a set called “The Man Behind the Mask”.
His career has not been without controversy. In 2019, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival dropped its prestigious Barry Award, named after the comedian, following controversial comments Humphries made to the Viewer the previous year regarding transgender people, according to affiliate 7 News. from CNN. In an interview with the newspaper, Humphries was criticized for describing being transgender as a “fad”.
Humphries later denied being transphobic, saying the comments were taken out of context. Humphries is survived by his wife, Lizzie Spender, and four children.
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