Teri Garr, the talented actress known for her iconic roles in Tootsie and Young Frankenstein, has died at 79. Parade reports that Garr passed away in Los Angeles from complications of multiple sclerosis on October 29, with her family and friends by her side.
According to her publicist, Heidi Schaeffer, Garr had been battling the illness since 1999, though she only shared her diagnosis publicly in 2002.
Garr’s career spanned 40 years, with over 150 film and TV appearances, as Parade details. She earned an Oscar nomination for Tootsie and left her mark on comedy through her role in Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein, alongside Gene Wilder.
Born into a showbiz family, she was the daughter of Broadway actor Eddie Garr and dancer Phyllis Garr. Garr began her career as an uncredited dancer in Elvis Presley films like Viva Las Vegas and Clambake before securing larger roles in films by legendary directors, including Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters and Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation.
Parade highlights that Garr also had memorable roles on TV, including a recurring part on Friends as the estranged birth mother of Phoebe Buffay, played by Lisa Kudrow. She even appeared on Star Trek and The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour.
In 2006, Garr survived a brain aneurysm that affected her speech and mobility, as Parade explains.
This challenging experience inspired her to work as a national ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, championing awareness for MS before retiring in 2011.
Credit : Parade