Australian comedian Barry Humphries died this Saturday, at the age of 89, in a Sydney hospital as a result of complications derived from a recent surgical operation, his family reported.
Humphries, also known by his alter egos Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson, appeared throughout his career in more than 20 films - including a role in The Hobbit trilogy and voicing the shark Bruce from Finding Nemo and He was the author of numerous humor books.
Born in the Australian city of Melbourne in 1934, his first big break came after moving to London in 1960 when he was cast in a stage production and rose to worldwide fame through his television shows in the 1980s and 1990s.
Humphries received numerous awards throughout his career, including a Lifetime Achievement Award at the British Comedy Award in 1999 and a Tony Award for his show Dame Edna: The Royal Tour in 2000.
His alter ego Dame Edna even got to meet and shake hands with Queen Elizabeth II, in 1977.
Among other decorations, he stands out: his appointment in 1982 as an Officer of the Order of Australia and in 2007 as Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.
The Melbourne Comedy Festival named its main award between 2000 and 2019 "Barry Award" in honor of the comedian, although controversial comments about transsexuality led to the name change of the awards.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute on social media to the comedian who "entertained us through a galaxy of characters," but "the brightest star in that galaxy was always Barry."
"A great wit, satirist, writer and absolutely one of a kind, he was both talented and gifted," the president remarked.
Humphries was admitted for a hip problem in February and operated weeks later, however he was unable to overcome a series of unspecified complications today.
