Teri Garr, ‘Tootsie’ and ‘Young Frankenstein’ Actress, Dies at 79
Teri Garr, the Oscar-nominated actress best known for roles in Tootsie, Young Frankenstein, and Friends, has died. She was 79.
Garr’s death was confirmed to CNN by her manager, Marc Gurvitz. Garr battled multiple sclerosis for over 20 years.
Garr’s father and mother were both entertainers. Her father, Eddie, was a vaudeville performer, and her mother, Phyllis, was a Radio City Music Hall Rockette. She studied at the famed Actors Studio in New York alongside Jack Nicholson.
Garr’s list of acting credits is diverse and features some beloved films, including 1977’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind and 1983’s Mr. Mom. Her earliest credits consisted of dancing in many Elvis Presley films, including 1964’s Viva Las Vegas.
Garr’s breakout performance in 1974’s Young Frankenstein helped open up opportunities for future roles. In the video below, Garr talks about making Young Frankenstein for the American Film Institute.
Garr’s Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role came from her performance as Sandy Lester in 1982’s Tootsie. However, she would lose to her co-star Jessica Lange.
Garr notably played the birth mother of Lisa Kudrow’s Phoebe Buffay on Friends, which is perhaps one of the most brilliant castings ever.
Garr’s final acting credit was in 2011. In 2002, she went public with her multiple sclerosis diagnosis in an interview with CNN. She said at the time, “I think everybody is scared and frightened when they hear something like that. That’s because there’s so much – you know, there’s not a lot of information out there about it. And a lot of people don’t know that it’s not that bad. I mean, I’m going on with my life.”
In May 2017, Garr granted an interview with Australia’s Studio 10 and said of MS, “It’s random. Certain people get it, and other people don’t get it.”
