Teri Garr, the beloved comedy actress renowned for her roles in Young Frankenstein and Tootsie, passed away at 79 after a long battle with multiple sclerosis (MS). Surrounded by family and friends, her death marked the end of a unique career that saw her rise from a background dancer in Elvis Presley films to a prominent comedic presence in Hollywood. Publicist Heidi Schaeffer confirmed her passing on Tuesday, highlighting Garr’s health challenges in recent years, including a 2007 operation for an aneurysm.
Colleagues and fans paid heartfelt tributes, with director Paul Feig calling her “one of my comedy heroes” and writer Cinco Paul noting her ability to shine in every role she undertook. Though Garr rarely played lead roles, her magnetic presence enriched every project she joined, making her a cherished figure in the entertainment industry.
Born into a family steeped in show business, Garr’s father, Eddie Garr, was a vaudeville comedian, and her mother, Phyllis Lind, was an original Rockette at New York’s Radio City Music Hall. Beginning dance lessons at six, Garr displayed early talent, joining ballet companies in San Francisco and Los Angeles by age 14. At 16, she joined the road company of West Side Story in Los Angeles and soon began appearing in minor film roles, including dancing parts in nine Elvis Presley movies like Viva Las Vegas and Clambake.
Her breakthrough came in the 1970s, first in a small role as Gene Hackman’s girlfriend in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation, which led to an opportunity with Mel Brooks. Brooks cast her as Inga, Gene Wilder’s eccentric lab assistant, in the cult classic Young Frankenstein (1974), for which Garr mastered a German accent with help from Cher’s wig-maker. The role established Garr as a comedy powerhouse, with New Yorker critic Pauline Kael praising her as “the funniest neurotic dizzy dame on the screen.”
Following Young Frankenstein, Garr starred in Oh, God! with George Burns, and later appeared alongside Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie, where she portrayed Hoffman’s girlfriend who loses him to his alter ego dressed as a woman. Despite her comedic focus, Garr demonstrated a flair for drama in films like Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Black Stallion, and The Escape Artist. She once expressed a desire to play more serious roles, stating she would have loved to tackle parts like those in Norma Rae or Sophie’s Choice, but she was often typecast as a comedic actor.
Garr was a frequent guest on Late Night with David Letterman, where her playful banter with the host led to rumors of a romance, although their rapport was purely professional. Garr credited these appearances for contributing to the show’s early success, while Letterman admired her quick wit and spontaneous humor.
In the 1980s, Garr began noticing strange sensations in her right leg, which later spread to her arm. Although she continued her career, by 1999 her symptoms had become severe, prompting her to seek medical advice and eventually receive an MS diagnosis. Fearing it might end her career, she kept her illness private until 2002. After going public, Garr became a spokesperson for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, delivering humorous and inspiring talks across North America.
In 2005, Garr published her autobiography, Speedbumps: Flooring It Through Hollywood, where she candidly discussed her life in Hollywood, her struggles with MS, and her refusal to disclose her age—a trait she said she inherited from her mother. Garr’s work in television continued well into the 1990s and 2000s, with notable appearances on Law & Order: SVU, Life With Bonnie, and as Phoebe Buffay’s mother in Friends.
Garr married contractor John O’Neil in 1993, and they adopted a daughter, Molly. The couple divorced in 1996, but Garr remained close to Molly, who, along with Garr’s grandson Tyryn, survives her. Known for her offbeat charm and resilience, Garr’s legacy as one of Hollywood’s most memorable and quirky comedic actresses endures through her iconic performances and the many lives she touched with her humor and humanity.
