From Dame Edna Everage to Sir Les Patterson, Barry Humphries’ most loved roles as comedian dies aged 89

Barry Humphries was a comedy icon, and he will live on through his many faces (Picture: BBC/Getty)

Barry Humphries was known throughout the world for his uncanny ability to slip into an array of charming – and sometimes not so charming – alter egos.

The talented entertainer held up a witty mirror to Australian society for seven decades, delighting audiences with his many faces and personas.

In light of his death at the age of 89 following complications from hip replacement surgery, here is a look at some of his most memorable alter-egos.

Created in 1955, the eccentric Dame Edna Everage was perhaps Humphries’ best known character.

While Dame Edna began as a parody of drab Melbourne suburban life, she soon found her feet (and wardrobe) and evolved into a force of nature, with her bold garms, cat-eye glasses and boisterous persona.

In 1970, Dame Edna forayed onto the big screen in John B Murray’s The Naked Bunyip, and she later found her home in television, hosting the self-titled talk show, The Dame Edna Experience, in the 1980s.

Dame Edna Everage was Humphries’ best-known alter-ego (Picture: ITV/Shutterstock) Polar opposite Sir Les Patterson often appeared in tandem with Dame Edna (Picture: Shutterstock)

Testament to Humphries’ skill as a performer, his other well-known character – who often worked in tandem to Dame Edna – was her polar opposite in Australian statesman Sir Les Patterson.

The drunken, gruff character circulated in real-time chat shows like Parkinson, often appearing worse-for-wear in a dirty shirt with a drink and cigarette in hand.

Sir Les popped up in pre-recorded sections of The Dame Edna Experience and quite amazingly, in 1987, Humphries played the pair simultaneously on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

From extreme characters to a softer one, Sandy Stone was the gentle dead man who apparently captured Humphries’ imagination and heart the most.

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Barry’s illustrious career in entertainment spanned seven decades (Picture: PA Barry apparently had a lot of affection for the gentle soul that was Sandy Stone (Picture: BBC)

Often appearing in a dressing down and reminiscing stories of his life, Mr Stone was a tender soul with many humorous tales to tell.

The Life And Death Of Sandy Stone saw these famous stories compiled into a book in 1990.

Off the TV, Humphries also expressed himself through newspapers, as his gaudy Aussie character Barry McKenzie was created as part of a Private Eye comic strip.

Barry was made to parody the uncouth – yet endlessly friendly – behaviour of Australian men sinking beers abroad, and the comic strips were later compiled into three books.

Although they were received in the UK, the books were initially banned in Australia as they were deemed too indecent for publishing.

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In his recent years, Humphries became the voice of Great White Bruce the shark in the legendary deep-sea cartoon film Finding Nemo.

He was also cast to play the Goblin King in the first installment of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy: An Unexpected Adventure.

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