Actress Teri Garr, who starred in "Young Frankenstein" and "Tootsie," has died, the New York Post reported. The 79-year-old actress succumbed to complications from her long battle with multiple sclerosis.
Garr passed away Tuesday in Los Angeles, leaving behind her 30-year-old daughter, Molly O'Neil, and six-year-old grandson, Tyryn. The actress suffered from the neurodegenerative disease for decades.
She first revealed her diagnosis in 2002 after battling multiple sclerosis privately. "I really didn’t think there was any reason to come out and say anything about it," Garr told CNN's Larry King.
"I think now, the good news is there is a lot of good medicine out there. If I can just help people to feel better," Garr said.
Garr's career spanned decades and included an Academy Award nomination. She had several hit films and television roles under her belt when she retired from showbusiness in 2011.
The actress had her first speaking role in the 1968 comedy film "Head," written and produced by Jack Nicholson and starring the Monkees. Garr was also on the small screen in "The New Dick Van Dyke Show," "Star Trek," and "The Sonny & Share Comedy Hour," and later "Friends."
However, America would fall in love with Garr's beauty and comedic timing in Mel Brooks' 1974 flick "Young Frankenstein." Garr starred alongside comedic greats Cloris Leachman, Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, and Peter Boyle.
Garr made "The Conversation," a thriller by famed director Francis Ford Coppola that same year. In 1977, the actress landed a leading role in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," Steven Spielberg's follow-up after his "Jaws" smash hit.
In 1982, Garr's portrayal of Sandy Lester in Tootsie earned her an Acadamy Award nomination, the only one of her career. In her 2005 memoir, the actress said she was "proud" of the achievement. "The academy not only knew I existed, they thought I was good!" Garr recalled.
Garr's "Tootsie" co-star made a touching tribute to Garr in a separate New York Post exclusive. "Teri was brilliant and singular in all she did, and had a heart of gold," the 87-year-old actor said in as statement.
"Working with her was one of the great highs. There was no one like her," Hoffman added. Director Mel Brooks also remembered Garr fondly in a post to X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday.
"So very sorry to hear about Teri Garr’s passing. She was so talented and so funny. Her humor and lively spirit made the YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN set a pleasure to work on. Her 'German' accent had us all in stitches! She will be greatly missed," Brooks posted.
So very sorry to hear about Teri Garr’s passing. She was so talented and so funny. Her humor and lively spirit made the YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN set a pleasure to work on. Her 'German' accent had us all in stitches! She will be greatly missed.
— Mel Brooks (@MelBrooks) October 29, 2024
Garr was a unique blend of talent and beauty and possessed comedic instincts. She left behind performances in some of the most iconic films of her day, and there will never be another like her.
