Barry Humphries, creator of Dame Edna Everage, dead at 89

Barry Humphries, a comedian, actor, writer and painter who entertained generations of fans across the world for seven decades, died in a Sydney, Australia, hospital Saturday at the age of 89, according to his publicist and 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," read a family statement.

"The characters he created, which brought laughter to millions, will live on," they wrote.

A longtime resident of London, Humphries had been in Australia for Christmas and injured himself in a February fall. He had been in Sydney's St. Vincent's Hospital in the weeks since, being treated for various ailments and getting a hip replacement. The hospital has not commented on his death.

Humphries, who spent some 70 years in show business, was active until the end, touring the UK last year with his one-man show, "The Man Behind the Mask."

"Farewell, Barry Humphries, you comedy genius," tweeted British comedian Ricky Gervais.

From law school dropout to fame across the British Commonwealth

Born on February 17, 1934, John Barry Humphries grew up in a comfortably situated, straight-laced family in Melbourne, Australia. He later said his mother had always told him not to draw so much attention to himself. As a teen, he took an interest in art, and later acting.

After a two years studying law, philosophy and fine art at the University of Melbourne, Humphries moved to London in 1959, where he worked as a comedian. He was also a stage actor there and later on Broadway, working with the likes of Spike Milligan and William Rushton.

He also co-created the comic strip "Barry McKenzie" for the satirical magazine Private Eye with artist Nicholas Garland in 1964. When the strip was later printed as a book, its sale was banned in Australia because it "relied on indecency for its humor."

Humphries eventually developed a drinking addiction that was at its worst in the early 1970s. He would later check himself into an alcoholism treatment center and remain abstinent until his death.   

Dame Edna and Sir Les, two characters lampooning Australian and celebrity culture

Humphries created a number of famous characters over the course of his long career, the three most recognizable being suburban snob Dame Edna Everage; the drunken and lecherous diplomat Sir Les Patterson; and Sandy Stone, a dull suburban senior.

The most famous of the three was undoubtedly Dame Edna, a glamorously boorish female alter ego that grew out of Humphries' distaste for the stifling atmosphere of post-war suburban Australia. Reflecting on Australian culture, or lack thereof, was a constant among his characters.

The character of Everage began as a drab housewife and over the years grew to become a self-proclaimed "Gigastar."

Ultimately a parody of celebrity stardom, the character even had three of her own television talk shows in the 1980s and 1990s, where A-list celebrities like Sean Connery, Charlton Heston, Susan Sarandon and Alec Baldwin were some of her guests.

The character also won Humphries a Tony Award in 2000, for the Broadway production, "Dame Edna: The Royal Tour," as well as a starring role in the closing ceremonies of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Humphries' and Everage's native Melbourne.

Beyond comedy, Humphries was known as a character actor on stage and screen, as well as a writer and painter.

In 2007, Queen Elizabeth II made him a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his services to entertainment.

"Barry Humphries entertained us through a galaxy of personas, from Dame Edna to Sandy Stone," wrote Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Twitter. "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."

Barry Humphries was married four times. He is survived by his wife Lizzie Spender, four children and 10 grandchildren.

js/wd (AFP, AP)