Barry Humphries, the Australian comedian famous for his drag persona Dame Edna Everage, has passed away at the age of 89. In a statement, his family said, "He was completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit."

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to Humphries, describing him as "a great wit, satirist, writer and an absolute one-of-a-kind" in a tweet. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the entertainer had been readmitted to the hospital on Wednesday due to complications from hip surgery last month, after having a hip replacement following a fall in February.

Humphries was born in Melbourne in 1934 and created the character of housewife Edna Everage in 1955 as a social satire. The character gained immense popularity in the 1970s when Humphries brought her to London's West End, where she featured in numerous productions, TV shows, and chat shows. Before Edna's rise to fame, Humphries appeared in various West End productions, including "Oliver" and "Maggie Way" in the 1960s.

Dame Edna, known for her lilac hair, sparkling cat glasses, and catchphrases like "Hello Possums!", quickly became a national icon. Throughout the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, Humphries starred in several TV talk shows, specials, and films as Dame Edna and other alter-egos, such as Les Patterson and Sandy Stone, including The Dame Edna Experience in 1987.

Over his 60-year career, Humphries received numerous accolades. In 1982, he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (OA) for services to theater, and in 2007, the Queen awarded him a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his contributions to the arts. Humphries also won a Special Tony Award in 2000 for his Broadway show "Dame Edna, The Royal Tour," marking his entry into the US market, and appeared as Edna in the US drama "Ally McBeal" in 2001.

A multi-talented artist, Humphries worked as an actor, director, and scriptwriter, authored several books, novels, autobiographies, and plays, and was an avid landscape painter. In 2011, he appeared as Dame Edna on CNN alongside Piers Morgan to comment on the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, stating, "I'm a teeny bit bored."

In 2022, at 88 years old, Humphries toured the UK in a show titled "The Man Behind the Mask," recounting his life stories and inspirations. Despite his illustrious career, Humphries faced controversy in 2019 when the Melbourne International Comedy Festival dropped the prestigious Barry Award, named after the comedian, following controversial comments he made about transgender people, as reported by CNN affiliate 7 News. Humphries later denied being transphobic and said his comments were taken out of context.

Humphries is survived by his wife, Lizzie Spender, and their four children.