Teri Garr, beloved Young Frankenstein and Tootsie star, dies at 79

Teri Garr, known for her memorable roles in Tootsie, Young Frankenstein, and Friends, passed away at 79 in Los Angeles due to complications related to multiple sclerosis.

Her publicist Heidi Schaeffer told Associated Press that Garr was ‘surrounded by family and friends’ at the time of her passing.

Garr, who was diagnosed with MS in 2002 after years of experiencing symptoms, dedicated much of her later life to advocating for MS research and raising awareness about the disease.

In 2007, she also underwent surgery for a brain aneurysm, a challenge she bravely confronted.

‘I had to learn to walk again, to talk again, and to think again, which I'm not even sure is necessary in Hollywood,’ Garr joked in a 2008 interview with Reuters, highlighting her trademark wit even in the face of adversity.

Born on December 11, 1944, in Lakewood, Ohio, to a show-business family, Garr seemed destined for the stage. Her father, Eddie, was a vaudeville performer and actor who appeared on Broadway, while her mother, Phyllis, was a dancer at New York's Radio City Music Hall, performing as one of the iconic Rockettes. Garr studied dance from an early age, eventually pursuing ballet at college in Los Angeles before heading to New York City, where she trained at the renowned Actor's Studio in Manhattan.

Her first film experiences included uncredited roles as a dancer, notably alongside Elvis Presley in Viva Las Vegas. However, her talent quickly gained attention, leading to roles on popular TV series like Star Trek and Batman. Her breakout in film came when Mel Brooks cast her as Inga, the delightfully quirky lab assistant in the 1974 comedy Young Frankenstein. Later, she turned to drama, portraying the wife of an alien-obsessed man in Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Garr’s work in the 1982 comedy Tootsie opposite Dustin Hoffman earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. In the film, she portrayed Sandy, a struggling actress dealing with her friend’s complex life, infusing the role with a mix of humor and vulnerability. Her comic timing and distinctive style made her a beloved figure in Hollywood and a lasting influence on those she worked with.

Lisa Kudrow, who played Garr’s daughter on Friends, shared a heartfelt tribute after her passing: ‘Teri Garr was a comedic acting genius who was and is a huge influence on me, and I know I’m not alone in that,’ Kudrow told People. ‘I feel so lucky and grateful I got to work with Teri Garr.’

Throughout her career and personal health struggles, Garr maintained a resilient sense of humour, which she often credited as her driving force. ‘It’s absolutely critical,’ she said. ‘A sense of humor and attitude is the most important thing in everything.’

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