Barry Humphries, Dame Edna Everage Comedian, Dead at 89

The Australian entertainer was known for his drag persona Edna Everage and for his character Sir Les Patterson.

Barry Humphries, the Tony Award-winning comedian known for his famous alter ego Dame Edna Everage, has died. He was 89.

The beloved entertainer and satirist passed away in a Sydney hospital, where he had been dealing with complications following hip surgery in March. His family confirmed the news with a statement on Saturday, April 22.

“He was completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit,” the family's statement read, as reported by USA Today. "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."

In addition to his most famous onstage persona, Humphries was also known for his character Sir Les Patterson, an uncouth male foil to Edna Everage's refined, snobbish personality.

He was the recipient of a Tony Award in 2000 for his Broadway show Dame Edna: The Royal Tour.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke out on Saturday following news of Humphries' passing, calling him “a great wit, satirist, writer and an absolute one-of-kind" in a tweet posted on Saturday. "He was both gifted and a gift," he added.

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also sent his condolences, tweeting, "RIP Barry Humphries - one of the greatest ever Australians - and a comic genius who used his exuberant alter egos, Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson, to say the otherwise unsayable. Also an infallibly brilliant Spectator contributor." He concluded his message, "What a loss."

Humphries opened up about his hip injury while speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper last month, revealing that physical therapy had been "agony" following his hip replacement, which was the result of a spill he took at home.

"It was the most ridiculous thing, like all domestic incidents are," he said at the time, per NBC News. "I was reaching for a book, my foot got caught on a rug or something, and down I went."

Humphries, who had been married four times, is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Spender, and four children.

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