Teri Garr death: Young Frankenstein and Tootsie star dies at 79
Teri Garr, an Oscar-nominated actress known for her roles in films such as "Young Frankenstein," "Tootsie," and "Mr. Mom," died, according to her management.
Teri Garr.
She was 79.
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Garr died on Tuesday in Los Angeles, more than two decades after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, her manager Marc Gurvitz said CNN.
She originally revealed her condition to the world in a 2002 CNN interview, hoping to raise awareness for others suffering from MS.
"I think everybody is scared and frightened when they hear something like that," Garr said of receiving her diagnosis after seeing 11 doctors and having years of symptoms they couldn't explain. "That's because there's so much - you know, there's not a lot of information available about it. Many individuals are unaware that it is not as horrible as it appears. I mean, I'm moving on with my life."
Garr, the daughter of a Broadway actress and a Rockette, grew up studying dance and began auditioning shortly after graduating from Los Angeles High School. Her early credits included dancing and working as an extra in films such as Elvis Presley's "Viva Las Vegas."
"I finally asked myself, Why am I not in the front?" Garr later reflected. "I didn't study all those years to be in the back and get no money."
Garr had a busy 1970s, appearing on a variety of sketch comedy shows like "The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour," "The New Dick Van Dyke Show," "The Odd Couple," and "The Bob Newhart Show," among others.
Her major break came in 1974, when she played Inga in Mel Brooks' comic classic "Young Frankenstein" opposite Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, and Marty Feldman.
Garr played Ronnie Neary, a wife seeking to comprehend her husband's (Richard Dreyfuss) odd preoccupation as a result of an extraterrestrial experience, in Steven Spielberg's 1977 sci-fi epic "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."
In "Tootsie," Garr played a downtrodden struggling actor who dates Dustin Hoffman's protagonist, who later rises to great success by pretending to be a woman on a soap opera. Garr received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the 1983 Academy Awards.
"I was proud," Garr wrote about the nomination in her 2005 memoir, "Speedbumps: Flooring It Through Hollywood." "The Academy not only knew I existed, they thought I was good!"
She also appeared in Michael Keaton's raucous family comedy "Mr. Mom" in 1983, playing advertising executive Caroline Butler.
Garr stated in a 2012 interview that she was not shocked that two of her most memorable roles involved shattering conventions about gender norms.
"I resent it when they write the part of a woman who's just a sexy femme fatale who seduces people to ger her way, perpetrating the myth that that's how woman have to operate, instead of using their brains or their wit," Garr told me.
Her career progressed with additional film and television work. Garr appeared in "Good & Evil" (1991), "Good Advice" (1994), and "Women of the House" (1995).
Garr was recognized for her somewhat off-kilter and goofy comic timing, making her the ideal choice to play Phoebe Buffay's mother on "Friends." Garr featured in three episodes over the third and fourth seasons.
Throughout the 2000s, Garr had cameo appearances on "Felicity," "ER," and "Live with Bonnie." She also dabbled in voice acting in the early 2000s, as Mary McGinnis in the animated "Batman Beyond" TV series and Sandy Gordon in 2003's "What's New, Scooby Doo?" cartoon series.
Garr's final credit occurred in 2011, when she appeared on the television show "How to Marry a Billionaire."
Through it all, Garr remained a strong champion for people with MS.
"I believe some individuals want you to feel upset. Not only am I not unhappy, but I'm fine. I don't see any benefit in being down; it doesn't get you anywhere," Garr said in an interview regarding her continued positivity. "Perhaps it has to do with my show business experience. You're constantly informed that you're not suitable for something, that you're not tall enough, that you're not attractive enough, or whatever. I'd say, 'But I'm brilliant, talented, this, and that!!' I've always been able to do that, and I'm doing it now with MS."
"I've always been a feisty person," she stressed.
