Tributes have poured in for Barry Humphries, the “genius” Australian comic best known for his character Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson, who has died at the age of 89 at a hospital in Sydney.
Humphries died surrounded by his family after experiencing complications following hip replacement surgery last month. He had a fall in his Sydney apartment in February.
David Faktor, a spokesman for St Vincent’s hospital in Sydney where the star was being treated, said: “I can confirm Barry Humphries passed away this evening Sydney time, around 7pm on Saturday evening [11am BST].”
Humphries with his wife, Lizzie Spender, in 2016
Humphries’ creation Dame Edna rose to fame in the UK in the 1970s. With her lilac-rinsed hair, flamboyant glasses and catchphrase — “Hello Possums!” — she landed her own television chat show, The Dame Edna Experience, in the late 1980s.
A statement from his family read: “It is with great sadness that we announce that Barry Humphries passed away peacefully in Sydney, Australia, today. He was surrounded by his family. He was completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit.
“With over 70 years on the stage, he was an entertainer to his core, touring up until the last year of his life and planning more shows that will sadly never be.
“His audiences were precious to him, and he never took them for granted. Although he may be best remembered for his work in theatre, he was 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 a friend and confidant to many. His passing leaves a void in so many lives. The characters he created, which brought laughter to millions, will live on.”
Tributes to the much-loved performer have come from around the world.
Anthony Albanese, the Australian prime minister, said: “For 89 years, Barry Humphries entertained us through a galaxy of personas, from Dame Edna to Sandy Stone. But the brightest star in that galaxy was always Barry. A great wit, satirist, writer, and an absolute one of kind, he was both gifted and a gift. May he rest in peace.”
Rupert Murdoch, executive chairman of News Corp, the owner of The Times and The Sunday Times, said: “In whatever guise, Barry was a genuine genius. His works, his creations, his spirit will echo across the generations and his friendship is eternal.”
Meeting the Queen during an event to mark the Silver Jubilee in 1977
In Sydney in 1968, performing his one-man show
British comics also paid tribute, with Ricky Gervais tweeting: “Farewell, Barry Humphries, you comedy genius”.
Matt Lucas shared a picture of himself and Humphries together, adding: “I wonder if all geniuses are as lovely as Barry Humphries. Thank you for delighting and inspiring us. Quite simply, you were the greatest.”
Andrew Neil, the broadcaster and former editor of The Sunday Times, wrote: “So sad to learn Barry Humphries has passed away. When I visited him in his Sydney hospital two weeks ago he was ailing from several health problems. But his spirits and wit were as acute as ever. We laughed away as the stories poured out. Funny, hugely literate, fiercely smart.
“I count myself lucky and privileged I got to see him one more time. A comic genius the likes of which we will never see again.”
Friends and family had been at Humphries’ bedside this week when his condition was reported to be serious.
Humphries answered a call from The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper earlier this week, saying “hello” before relatives took the phone from him. His wife, Lizzie Spender, who was by his side, said “he’s fine”.
Humphries revealed in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald last month that he’d been in “agony” since breaking his hip and was undergoing “very painful” rehabilitation sessions.
He said: “It was the most ridiculous thing, like all domestic incidents are. I was reaching for a book, my foot got caught on a rug or something and down I went.”
As Sir Les Patterson in 1984
The performer was born John Barry Humphries in Kew, Melbourne, in 1934, the eldest child to working-class parents. Dame Edna first appeared in the 1950s when Humphries was living in Australia, as a parody of suburban housewives based on his own mother.
He moved to London in 1959 and appeared in the West End shows Maggie May and Oliver!, going on to become a leading figure of the British comedy scene alongside leading figures including Dudley Moore, Peter Cook, Alan Bennett and Spike Milligan, all of whom he worked with.
As Dame Edna he won an Olivier for best comedy performance in 1979 and a Tony award in 2000, describing it as “like winning a thousand Gold Logies at the same time”, referring to the Australian TV personality awards.
Humphries wrote an autobiography, My Gorgeous Life, as the Dame Edna character. He appeared in films, including voicing the shark Bruce in the 2003 Pixar hit Finding Nemo and as the Great Goblin in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. He was also in the 1967 comedy Bedazzled, Spice World and Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie.
Humphries played Fagin in a West End performance of Oliver! in the 1960s
The comic announced his retirement from live entertainment in 2012 as he was “beginning to feel a bit senior” but returned last year for a series of shows looking back at his career.
He was married four times, and leaves behind his wife, Lizzie Spender, four children — Tessa, Emily, Oscar and Rupert — and ten grandchildren.
Source: The Times
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