Barry Humphries, Aussie Comic Best Known as Dame Edna, Dies at 89

Barry Humphries, the Australian comedic performer best known for his larger-than-life alter ego, Dame Edna Everage, has died at the age of 89.

Born on February 17, 1934, Humphries started his career in the 1950s as a comedian and satirist, appearing on various radio and TV shows in Australia and the UK. He originated the role of undertaker Mr. Sowerberry in Lionel Bart’s Oliver!, the role that would mark is Broadway debut in 1963.

The purple-haired housewife Edna Everage was born on stage at the Melbourne Theatre Company in the 1950s, and the character would be further honed in films like The Naked Bunyip and The Adventures of Barry McKenzie in the early 1970s.

From there, the Dame and her gladioli took on a life of their own, earning an Olivier Award in 1979 for A Night with Dame Edna. Touring the world, Humphries and Edna landed on Broadway several times, including 1999’s The Royal Tour (winning a Drama Desk and a Theatre World Award), 2004’s Back with a Vengeance, and 2010’s short-lived All About Me, a duo show with pianist Michael Feinstein. Edna played Australia as recently as 2019, coming out of retirement for a third farewell tour called My Gorgeous Life. Edna’s wide-ranging appearances also include Saturday Night Live, the film Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and a benefit celebrity edition of The Great British Baking Show.

In addition to Dame Edna, Humphries’s characters included the lewd politician Sir Les Patterson and the suburban retiree Sandy Stone. Humphries was still performing until the very end; his latest stage show, The Man Behind the Mask toured in 2022.

On screen, Humphries has been seen in the original Bedazzled, the Rocky Horror sequel Shock Treatment, and Finding Nemo, where he voiced the role of the Aussie shark Bruce.

Humphries was also a painter, and his artwork has been exhibited in galleries around the world. Survivors include his wife and four children.