HomeNewsLocal`Young Frankenstein,' `Mr. Mom,' `Close Encounters' Actress Teri Garr Dies

`Young Frankenstein,’ `Mr. Mom,’ `Close Encounters’ Actress Teri Garr Dies

LOS ANGELES (CNS) – Actress Teri Garr, best known for her roles in Mel Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein,” “Tootsie” and “Mr. Mom,” died Tuesday at age 79 following a battle with multiple sclerosis.

“Actress Teri Garr passed away this morning after a long battle with MS,” according to a statement from her publicist, Heidi Schaeffer. “She was in Los Angeles and passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends.”

Garr, daughter of Broadway actor Eddie Garr and dancer Phyllis Garr, graduated from North Hollywood High School and attended Cal State Northridge.

Shetrained as a dancer at a young age, leading to small appearances on television and films. She later landed jobs as a backup dancer in a series of Elvis Presley films, including “Viva Las Vegas,” then made appearances in TV shows including “Star Trek,” “McCloud,” “Room 222,” “M*A*S*H,” “The Bob Newhart Show,” “Barnaby Jones” and “The Sonny and Cher Show.”

Her career took off following her appearance in Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein” in 1974, portraying sultry lab assistant Inga, and in Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Conversation.”

She followed up those roles with appearances in Steven Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and Sydney Pollack’s “Tootsie,” which earned her an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress.

Her other film credits included “Mr. Mom,” “After Hours,” “Oh, God,” “The Player,” “Pret-a-Porter” and “The Black Stallion.” She also gained attention with her frequent appearances on “Late Night with David Letterman” and for her guest spots on the smash-hit comedy series “Friends,” playing the estranged mother of Lisa Kudrow’s Phoebe Buffay character.

Garr’s “Mr. Mom” co-star Michael Keaton mourned her death on Instagram, writing, “This is a day I feared and knew was coming. Forget about how great she was as an actress and comedienne. She was a wonderful woman. Not just great to work with but great to be around. And go back and watch her comedic work — Man, she was great!! RIP girl.”

David Letterman posted a video on Instagram of one of Garr’s appearances on his show, writing, “Remembering one of our all-time favorite guests Teri Garr #RIP.”

Director Paul Feig, who worked with Garr on “Unaccompanied Minors,” wrote, “Devastated by this. Teri was a legend. A true comedy legend. I had the honor of working with her in 2006 and she was everything I dreamed she would be and more. Hilarious, kind, beautiful. This is a huge loss.”

Garr announced in 2002 that she had been diagnosed with MS, and she officially retired from acting in 2011. She became an ambassador for efforts to fight the disease, serving as a spokeswoman for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

She is survived by her daughter, Molly O’Neil, and 6-year-old grandson Tyryn.

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