Teri Garr, Beloved Star of Young Frankenstein and Tootsie, Passes Away at 79

Hollywood veteran Teri Garr who was one of the protagonists of movies like Young Frankenstein, Tootsie, and Mr. Mom has died at 79. Through her comic talent, rich character portrayals and idiosyncrasies Garr became an honorary Hollywood figure and an Oscar nominee. Garr was a philanthropic actress, moreover, she was actively participating after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) disease, she was a fighter and full of positive energy.

A Star is Born: Garr’s Early Years

Teri Garr was originally raised in an environment that was very familiar with show business. Her mother was a Broadway performer, and her father acted as an actor though Garr was more interested in the behind-the-scenes job, which made her love the arts much earlier. She then took up dancing and she got a dancing and an extras part, her first being in Viva Las Vegas, which starred Elvis Presley. Garr’s ambition of being on stage and a screen actress made her grab roles that best depicted her talents and comedienne. Looking at her dreams she has to say, “I did not strive to remain out of limelight.

Breaking Out in Television and Comedy Films

Garr became popular in the 70s, she acted in The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, The New Dick Van Dyke Show and The Bob Newhart Show. However, her big break came in 1974 when she acted as Inga, a cute character in Mel Brook’s Young Frankenstein, which obviously gave her the funny bones of Hollywood. Supporting Gene Wilder with the comedian actress Madeline Kahn, Garr had the opportunity to demonstrate her timing and natural humor.

She departed from comedy in 1977 and appeared as Ronnie Neary in Close Encounters of the Third Kind by Steven Spielberg, the story of a woman whose husband is infatuated with an encounter with an alien. This role gave an insight into her capability and the diversified type of cast she was to forge ahead.

Garnering Acclaim in Tootsie

Sandy Lester in the movie Tootsie relaying Teri Garr together with Teri Garr played Doris Flickman in the movie making Tootsie one of her prominent movies. Garr’s work in Tootsie earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, an achievement she proudly recalled in her memoir, Speedbumps: Flooring It Through Hollywood, and in pointing this out, it was gratifying to be acknowledged by the Academy.

Her next major role was in 1983 in Mr.Mom a comedy whereby Garr played the role of moi Caroline Butler, a working mother to compete with Michael Keaton. She only agreed to do scripts that gave her characters that did not conform with typical feminine roles that only portrayed women as intelligent and assertive. Speaking about failures and challenges of female roles, she complained, “I wanted to be women who used brains, not faces.”

A Lifelong Battle with MS and Advocacy

private, she decided to share her condition with the general public and would be a patron for Multiple Sclerosis. Her attitude towards life, especially with the disease continued to be jovial. The field supervisor of Garr stated during an interview, ‘I don’t see any benefit in being down about it. Nevertheless, But I’ve always sat there believing in the philosophy of doing what is possible. Her advocacy work helped to encourage many people in the MS community, sharing messages of hope with those similarly fighting a difficult war.

A Legacy on Screen and Beyond

Acting in movies and television continued through most of the 1990s and early 2000s with appearances on the immensely popular show Friends, portraying the mother of Lisa Kudrow’s character Phoebe Buffay. It was just Friends where Garr gave a stellar performance even though she was not more than a recurring character. As voice actress she extended her career to animated series such as Batman Beyond and What’s New, Scooby-Doo?, and became an icon among individuals of the younger age as well.

The reactions coming in from Hollywood after her demise showed how valuble she was to her peers and the general public. Tootsie co-star Dustin Hoffma expressed that Garr is “brilliant and unique” and actress Lisa Kudrow, actress lucky enough to work with Garr said that Garr was a “comedic genius”.

Remembering Teri Garr’s Impact