When he was a little boy, Barry Humphries' mother sternly told him not to draw attention to himself. Her floppy-haired, artistic son loved breaking the rules. But nobody could've guessed that a suburban misfit from Melbourne would go on to hog the global spotlight as superstar Dame Edna Everage and a host of other characters.
The world mourned when Barry-acclaimed comic, actor, writer and artist - died at Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital on 22 April, aged 89, following a seven-decade career. Friend and fan King Charles III even sent the Humphries family a personal letter to convey his sympathies and was said to have called Barry before he passed away.
Ricky Gervais declared Barry a "comedy genius", while chat-show legend Sir Michael Parkinson said outrageous Dame Edna was his most popular regular guest. Sir Elton John said, "Barry was the funniest man ever and the sweetest man ever. What a sad day."
John Barry Humphries was born into a comfortable, straitlaced, middle-class family on 17 February 1934. A sport-loathing rebel at Melbourne Grammar School, he flunked maths but shone at art and English, and he always adored costume and disguise.
In his two years at the University of Melbourne - he didn't graduate - Barry's surreal pranks became legendary. He "beat up" a fake blind passenger on trams. On planes, he emptied canned salad into a sick bag, then pretended to vomit and eat it.
この記事は Woman’s Day Magazine NZ の May 05, 2023 版に掲載されています。
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この記事は Woman’s Day Magazine NZ の May 05, 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
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