Image of Barry Humphries

Barry Humphries

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia John Barry Humphries, AO, CBE (born 17 February 1934) is an Australian comedian, satirist, dadaist, artist, author and character actor, perhaps best known for his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage, a Melbourne housewife and "gigastar", and Sir Les Patterson, Australia's foul-mouthed cultural attaché to the Court of St. James's. He is a film producer and script writer, a star of London's West End musical theatre, an award-winning writer and an accomplished landscape painter. For his delivery of dadaist and absurdist humour to millions, biographer Anne Pender described Humphries in 2010 as not only the most significant theatrical figure of our time … [but] the most significant comedian to emerge since Charlie Chaplin. Humphries' characters, especially Dame Edna Everage, have brought him international renown, and he has appeared in numerous films, stage productions and television shows. Originally conceived as a dowdy Moonee Ponds housewife who caricatured Australian suburban complacency and insularity, Edna has evolved over four decades to become a satire of stardom, the gaudily dressed, acid-tongued, egomaniacal, internationally feted Housewife Gigastar, Dame Edna Everage. Humphries' other major satirical character creation was the archetypal Australian bloke Barry McKenzie, who originated as the hero of a comic strip about Australians in London (with drawings by Nicholas Garland) which was first published in Private Eye magazine. The stories about "Bazza" (Humphries' nickname, as well as an Australian term of endearment for the name Barry) gave wide circulation to Australian slang, particularly jokes about drinking and its consequences (much of which was invented by Humphries), and the character went on to feature in two Australian films, in which he was portrayed by Barry Crocker. Humphries' other satirical characters include the "priapic and inebriated cultural attaché" Sir Les Patterson, who has "continued to bring worldwide discredit upon Australian arts and culture, while contributing as much to the Australian vernacular as he has borrowed from it", gentle, grandfatherly "returned gentleman" Sandy Stone, iconoclastic 1960s underground film-maker Martin Agrippa, Paddington socialist academic Neil Singleton, sleazy trade union official Lance Boyle, high-pressure art salesman Morrie O'Connor and failed tycoon Owen Steele. Description above from the Wikipedia article Barry Humphries, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.


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Born:
Feb 17, 1934 In Camberwell, Melbourne, Australia
Movie/TV Credits:
66
First Appeared:
In the series Barry Humphries' Scandals
Latest Project:
Movie Parkinson at 50 2021-08-28
Known For
Poster of Jack Irish: Dead Point
Poster of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Poster of Little Britain
Poster of Finding Nemo
Filmography
Series Barry Humphries' Scandals Unknown 2025
Series Dame Edna's Neighbourhood Watch 2025
Movie Parkinson at 50 Dame Edna Everage (archive footage) 2021-08-28
Movie Standing Up for Sunny Barry Humphries 2019-06-12
Movie Peter Cook and Dudley Moore: The Missing Sketches Self 2016-12-31
Movie Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie Charlie / Dame Edna 2016-07-01
Movie Blinky Bill the Movie Wombo (voice) 2015-08-21
Movie Jack Irish: Dead Point Justice Logan 2014-04-13
Movie Justin and the Knights of Valour Braulio (voice) 2013-08-09
Movie Kath & Kimderella Dame Edna Everage 2012-09-06
Movie The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Great Goblin 2012-12-12
Series A Comedy Roast Unknown 2010-04-07
Series Comedy Rocks with Jason Manford Unknown 2010-03-26
Movie Mary and Max Narrator (voice) 2009-02-09
Movie Salvation Client 2009-03-19
Movie We Are Most Amused Self 2008-11-15
Movie Not Quite Hollywood Self 2008-08-28
Series I'd Do Anything Himself - Judge 2008-03-15
Series The Dame Edna Treatment 2007-03-17
Series Betjeman and Me Unknown 2006-08-14
Series The One Show Unknown 2006-08-14
Movie It Started with Swap Shop Self 2006-12-28
Movie Da Kath & Kim Code John Monk 2005-11-27
Movie Remember the Secret Policeman's Ball? Self - Edna Everage 2004-12-09
Series The Tony Danza Show Unknown 2004-09-13
Series Little Britain Unknown 2003-09-16
Series QI Unknown 2003-09-11
Movie Finding Nemo Bruce (voice) 2003-05-30
Movie Nicholas Nickleby Mrs. Crummies/Mr. Leadville 2002-12-27
Movie Welcome to Woop Woop Blind Wally 1998-08-13
Movie Spice World Kevin McMaxford 1997-12-18
Series The View Unknown 1997-08-11
Series Ally McBeal Unknown 1997-09-08
Movie Pterodactyl Woman from Beverly Hills Bert / Lady Shopper / Manager 1997-10-07
Movie The Leading Man Humphrey Beal 1996-12-12
Movie Napoleon Kangaroo (voice) 1995-06-30
Movie Immortal Beloved Clemens Metternich 1994-12-16
Series Late Night with Conan O'Brien Unknown 1993-09-13
Series The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Dame Edna Everage 1992-05-25
Series Pebble Mill Unknown 1991-10-14
Series Dame Edna's Hollywood Dame Edna Everage 1991-11-30
Movie Selling Hitler Rupert Murdoch 1991-06-11
Series LIVE with Kelly and Mark Unknown 1988-09-05
Movie Howling III: The Marsupials Academy Award Presenter 1987-05-15
Movie Les Patterson Saves the World Sir Les Patterson / Dame Edna Everage 1987-04-09
Series The Dame Edna Experience 1987-09-12
Movie The Secret Policeman's Other Ball Himself - Various Roles 1982-03-01
Movie The Rocky Horror Treatment Himself 1981-02-04
Movie Shock Treatment Bert Schnick 1981-10-30
Series Russell Harty Unknown 1980-10-28
Series An Audience with... Unknown 1978-01-08
Movie Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Our Guests at Heartland 1978-07-24
Series The South Bank Show Unknown 1978-01-14
Movie The Getting of Wisdom Rev. Strachey 1977-08-25
Movie Pleasure at Her Majesty's Edna Everage 1976-12-29
Movie Side by Side 1975-04-30
Series Saturday Night Live Unknown 1975-10-11
Movie The Great MacArthy Col Ball-Miller 1975-08-04
Movie Percy's Progress Dr. Anderson / Australian TV Lady 1974-08-01
Movie Barry McKenzie Holds His Own Edna Everage 1974-12-12
Movie The Adventures of Barry McKenzie Aunt Edna Everage 1972-10-12
Series Hey Hey It's Saturday Unknown 1971-10-09
Movie The Naked Bunyip Edna Everage 1970-02-02
Movie The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom Mr. Wainwright 1968-09-11
Movie Bedazzled Envy 1967-10-30
Series The Wednesday Play Unknown 1964-09-30