According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Humphries passed away on Saturday (22 April) at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney. He was reportedly surrounded by his family, including his wife Lizzie Spender, when he passed away.
The Australian comedian, who is 89 years old, was taken to the hospital earlier this week and was being treated for “health issues.”
After collapsing earlier this year as a result of tripping over a rug and breaking his hip, Humphries had hip surgery in January and has been undergoing therapy at a rehabilitation center since March.
The family of Humphries released a statement that stated, “He was completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his one-of-a-kind wit, and generous spirit.”
“With over 70 years on the stage, he was an entertainer to the core, traveling up to the final year of his life and preparing additional concerts that will unfortunately never be. ” “With over 70 years on the stage, he was an entertainer to the core.
They went on to say that, “His audiences were precious to him, and he never took them for granted,” In spite of the fact that he is most likely to be remembered for his work in the theater, he was also a painter, a novelist, a poet, as well as a collector and admirer of art in all of its many forms.
“He was also a dedicated and loving husband, father, and grandpa, as well as a friend and confidant to a great number of people. His death has created a vacuum in a significant number of people’s lives.
“The characters he created, which brought laughter to the faces of millions, will continue to live on.”
In 1956, Barry Humphries came up with the idea for the iconic role of Dame Edna Everage, which he would go on to play throughout his seven-decade-long career in the entertainment industry.
Both in front of and behind the camera, Humphries had a successful career in the fields of television, cinema, theater, and music. During his career, he was honored with a multitude of accolades, including four nominations for a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award.
The controversial opinions that Humphries had about transgender people tainted his reputation.
Barry Humphries has been the subject of criticism in recent years for his statements on the transgender community. In 2019, he said that his comments had been “taken the wrong way”
In 2016, Humphries backed the philosopher and author Germaine Greer, who had defined transgender women as “men who believe that they are women and have themselves castrated.” Germaine Greer said that transgender people are “men who believe that they are women and have themselves castrated.”
Humphries said that he agreed with Greer’s assessment and brought up Caitlyn Jenner as a topic of conversation.
“Germaine is right, and so am I!” You are nothing more than a guy who has been mutilated. What’s with all this talk about cutting one’s own skin? He said this to The Telegraph.
Three years later, Humphries said that his stance had been “grotesquely interpreted,” although he did not provide any more explanation at the time.
“Edna carefully said that she thought that men who had themselves castrated did not become women, and that got taken the wrong way,” he told The Sunday Times Magazine. “Edna carefully said that she thought that men who had themselves castrated did not become women.”
In an interview he gave in 2018, he said that being transgender is a trend, and he added, “How many different kinds of lavatory can you have?” And it’s a really awful thing when it’s taught to youngsters by crazed instructors.”
The number of tributes to Barry Humphries continues to grow.
The Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, was one of the prominent people who paid respect to Humphries when the news of his passing was made public. Albanese referred to Humphries as “the brightest star in the galaxy.”
In a tweet, Albanese said, “Barry Humphries entertained us for 89 years through a galaxy of personas, ranging from Dame Edna to Sandy Stone.”
“However, Barry was without a doubt the most brilliant star in that cosmos.
“A brilliant wit, satirist, and writer, as well as a completely unique person, he was a gift as well as a gift. “May he finally find rest in peace.
Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns paid tribute to Humphries, calling him a “legend” and said he exemplified “Australian creativity and performance for generations.”
Carol Vorderman, a beloved British TV broadcaster, paid homage to Humphries by tweeting: “I only met you a few times but that look in your eyes full of bright intelligence and mischief, knowing trouble was ahead and looking forward to every special second of it. You were a genius.” Humphries was referred to as “a genius” in Vorderman’s tweet.
“I’ll never forget that. Thank you, Sir. A genius.”
