Barry Humphries (1934–2023,) also John Barry Humphries, was an Australian comedian, actor, and writer renowned for creating and portraying iconic characters, most notably Dame Edna Everage, a flamboyant and quick-witted housewife-turned international superstar.
Born in Melbourne, Victoria, Humphries left Melbourne University and embarked on a successful acting career, making his London stage debut in 1959. He conceived the character of Dame Edna Everage in 1955 to satirize the norms of his parents’ generation. Edna gained immense popularity, and Humphries, in an unconventional move, refused to acknowledge her fictional status, even claiming Barry Humphries as her manager.
Bringing Edna to a broader audience on Australian television in 1956, Humphries later portrayed her in various films and TV specials. Additionally, he assumed other female roles while in the guise of Edna. Throughout his career, Humphries achieved international success with stage productions centered around Edna, including shows like Housewife, Superstar! and Edna: The Spectacle. Apart from Edna, Humphries created other notable comic characters such as Sir Les Patterson and Sandy Stone. He also took on conventional roles in movies like Finding Nemo (2003,) Immortal Beloved (1994,) and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012.)
As himself, Humphries authored several books, including Barry Humphries’ Treasury of Australian Kitsch (1980,) Women in the Background (1995,) and the autobiography My Life as Me (2004.) His books as Edna include Dame Edna’s Coffee Table Book: A Guide to Gracious Living and the Finer Things in Life by One of the First Ladies of the World Theatre (1976) and her autobiography, My Gorgeous Life: The Life, the Loves, the Legend (1989.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Barry Humphries
Most of my contemporaries at school entered the World of Business, the logical destiny of bores.
—Barry Humphries
Topics: Boredom
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