Barry Humphries

Overview

Born
February 17, 1934 · Kew, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Died
April 22, 2023 · Darlinghurst, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (complications from hip surgery)
Birth name
John Barry Humphries
Height
5′ 10″ (1.78 m)

His father was a well-to-do builder. Barry was a highly intelligent boy who attended Melbourne University. There, he began acting in revues and doing impersonations. He moved to London in 1959 and began his professional performing career on the West End and Broadway stages as Mr Sowerby in Oliver!, and in Peter Cook's Establishment nightclub. He has created numerous characters including Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson.
- IMDb mini biography by: B. J. Coverdale, E.J. Pitt

Was good friends with Joan Rivers.
He was awarded the C.B.E. (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2007 Queen Elizabeth's Birthday Honors List for his services to entertainment.
Barry Humphries was one of the hosts at "The Royal Pop Concert" in Buckingham Palace, London on June, 4th, 2002. He appeared as Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson and had the great honor to announce Queen Elizabeth II.
On 24 October 2006 Australia Post together with The Perth Mint issued a 50 cent legal tender coin with full-colour portrait of Dame Edna. Coin is mounted in special envelope with 2 postage stamps (featuring Barry Humphries as both Dame Edna and himself) cancelled at Moonee Ponds (the suburb where Edna says she comes from). An Australian $1 silver one ounce coin portraying Dame Edna was issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Barry Humphries as Dame Edna.
Created the role of Mr Sowerberry in the original West End production of Lionel Bart's musical "Oliver!".

It's very important to be interesting yourself. Most guests, let's face it, however famous they are, are boring, with no intellectual resources and very little sense of humor, particularly if they are comedians. People only watch my shows for me, and those shows have remained evergreen long after the guests are forgotten. Always wear beautiful clothes, preferably a different frock for every show, and don't overdo the hospitality beforehand. An intoxicated guest is a loose canon and I'm not referring to my famous interview with Jack Palance that didn't go to air!
Sex is the most beautiful thing that can take place between a happily married man and his secretary.
My parents were very pleased that I was in the army. The fact that I hated it somehow pleased them even more.
New Zealand is a country of thirty thousand million sheep, three million of whom think they are human.
To live in Australia permanently is rather like going to a party and dancing all night with one's mother.