Teri Garr, the Oscar-nominated actress famous for her roles in Young Frankenstein, Tootsie, and Mr. Mom, has passed away at 79, her manager confirmed. She died on Tuesday in Los Angeles after living with multiple sclerosis for over twenty years, according to her manager, Marc Gurvitz.
Teri Garr first spoke about her MS diagnosis in a 2002 interview with CNN to help raise awareness for others with the condition. She shared how scared she felt when she was first diagnosed, especially since it took 11 doctors to finally figure out what was causing her symptoms. “There wasn’t much information available, and many people don’t realize it’s manageable,” she said. “I’m continuing with my life.”
eri Garr, whose parents were a Broadway performer and a Rockette, grew up studying dance. After high school in Los Angeles, she started auditioning, landing small roles as a dancer or extra in movies like Elvis Presley’s Viva Las Vegas. But she wanted more, later saying, “I asked myself, why am I always in the back? I didn’t study for years to get no recognition.”
In the 1970s, Garr’s career took off. She appeared on popular TV shows like The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, The New Dick Van Dyke Show, The Odd Couple, and The Bob Newhart Show.
Her big break came in 1974, playing Inga in the comedy hit Young Frankenstein, directed by Mel Brooks, alongside stars like Gene Wilder and Madeline Kahn.
In 1977, Teri Garr landed a big role in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, where she played Ronnie Neary, a wife trying to understand her husband’s strange obsession with aliens after he encounters them.
Then, in Tootsie, Garr played a struggling actress dating Dustin Hoffman’s character, who pretends to be a woman to get famous on a soap opera. Her performance earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress in 1983. Reflecting on this in her memoir, Speedbumps: Flooring it Through Hollywood, she wrote, “I was proud. The Academy not only knew I existed—they thought I was good!”
Also in 1983, she starred alongside Michael Keaton as advertising executive Caroline Butler in the family comedy Mr. Mom.
In a 2012 interview, Teri Garr said she wasn’t surprised that two of her most famous roles involved challenging traditional gender stereotypes.
“I don’t like it when they create female characters who are just there to be sexy and manipulate people to get what they want,” Garr explained. “It spreads the idea that women have to act like that, instead of using their intelligence or humor.”
Teri Garr continued her career with roles in movies and TV shows throughout the 1990s, appearing in shows like Good & Evil (1991), Good Advice (1994), and Women of the House (1995).
Known for her quirky, funny style, she was a natural fit to play Phoebe’s mother in Friends, appearing in three episodes during seasons three and four. “Teri Garr was a comedic genius who influenced me and so many others,” Lisa Kudrow said, grateful she had the chance to work with her.
During the 2000s, Garr guest-starred on shows like Felicity, ER, and Live with Bonnie, and she also did voice work in animated series like Batman Beyond and What’s New, Scooby Doo? Her last on-screen role was in How to Marry a Billionaire in 2011.
Through all of this, she was a strong advocate for people living with multiple sclerosis (MS), spreading hope and positivity. She once shared, “I don’t see any point in being down. It doesn’t get you anywhere.” Reflecting on her career, she added, “Maybe it’s my background in showbiz—you’re always told you’re not right for a role, but I’d tell myself, ‘I’m smart, I’m talented!’ I do the same with MS.”
She added with pride, “I’ve always been a feisty person.”