Teri Garr, the offbeat character actor who made her name with hilarious comic turns in films and television shows throughout the 1970's and 1980's, has passed away at the age of seventy-nine. In 2002, she publicly announced that she was suffering from multiple sclerosis and having to retire from performing nine years later when it became too difficult for her to continue. Garr died from complications from this autoimmune disease on October 29th.
Born in Los Angeles, Garr came from a family of entertainers with her father, Eddie was a performer in vaudeville and her mother, Phyllis was a model and dancer. So it's not really surprising that their offspring would follow them into show business. After finishing high school and attending Cal State Northridge for two years, Garr dropped out and went to New York to study acting at the Actors Studio.
Back in Los Angeles, she began her professional career as an uncredited extra and performing as a background dancer in many television shows and films which included six Elvis Presley movies. One of her first major roles as an actor came in 1968 in "Head", a musical-comedy featuring the fictional-turned-real-life musical group, The Monkees that was directed by Bob Rafelson and written by Jack Nicholson. Another important appearance came in a episode of the sci-fi series, "Star Trek". In 1972, Garr became a regular cast member on "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour"
Around this time, she would begin making her mark in feature films, working with many of the big-name directors of this era. She first appeared in a supporting role in Francis Ford Coppola's "The Conversation" in 1974 and would later get her first starring role ten years later in his musical-drama, "One From The Heart" (which was recently restored in 4K and re-released earlier this year); the outrageous comedy, "Young Frankenstein" with Mel Brooks; Steven Spielberg's classic sci-fi drama, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"; Martin Scorsese's black comedy "After Hours" and "Tootsie" from Sydney Pollack where this romantic-comedy would earn the actress her only Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in 1982. Garr would also make memorable appearances in "Oh, God", "The Black Stallion", "Mr. Mom", "Dumb and Dumber", "Prêt-à-Porter" (with director, Robert Altman) and "Ghost World".
Garr became a staple on television, making guest spots on numerous sitcoms and dramas. She would become a popular guest on several talk shows due to charming, quick witted banter, first making regular appearances on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" and later on "Late Night With David Letterman". One of her last prominent roles before her medical diagnosis was playing Phoebe's (Lisa Kudrow) estranged mother on the popular sitcom, "Friends" in 1997.
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