Teri Garr, the iconic comedy actress whose journey took her from background dancer in Elvis films to memorable roles in movies like Young Frankenstein and Tootsie, has died at the age of 79. According to her publicist, Heidi Schaeffer, Garr passed away Tuesday due to complications from multiple sclerosis, surrounded by loved ones.Social media lit up with tributes to Garr's legacy, with writer-director Paul Feig hailing her as “one of my comedy heroes,” and screenwriter Cinco Paul noting, “Never the star, but always shining.
From an early age, Garr seemed destined for show business. Her father, Eddie Garr, was a vaudeville comedian, and her mother, Phyllis Lind, was an original Rockette. She began dance lessons at 6, and by 14 was performing with the San Francisco and Los Angeles ballet companies.Garr got her first break at 16 with the Los Angeles road company of West Side Story, followed by chorus roles in nine Elvis Presley films, including Viva Las Vegas and Roustabout. She appeared on popular TV shows of the era, like Star Trek, Dr. Kildare, and Batman, and joined The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour as a featured dancer.
Her breakthrough role came in 1974’s The Conversation, leading to an iconic comedic performance as Gene Wilder’s lab assistant in Young Frankenstein, for which she famously mimicked a German accent taught by a wig maker named Renata. Critics praised her quirky and neurotic comedic style, establishing her as one of the era’s finest comic actresses.
Garr went on to charm audiences with roles in Oh, God! opposite George Burns, Mr. Mom alongside Michael Keaton, and Tootsie, where she played the girlfriend who loses Dustin Hoffman’s character to Jessica Lange. Her performance earned her an Oscar nomination, though she ultimately lost to Lange.Though renowned for her comic talent, Garr also demonstrated dramatic range in films like Close Encounters of the Third Kind and The Black Stallion. Reflecting on her career, she once said she wished for serious roles but had become typecast as a comedic actress.
In her frequent appearances on Late Night with David Letterman, Garr showcased her wit, sparking rumors of a romantic connection with the host due to their entertaining on-air banter. Letterman later credited these appearances as pivotal to the show’s early success.Garr was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1999, having first noticed symptoms in the 1980s. Initially keeping her diagnosis private, she eventually became an outspoken advocate for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. “You have to find your center and roll with the punches,” she said of her experience.
In addition to her film and TV roles, Garr authored a memoir, Speedbumps: Flooring It Through Hollywood, where she candidly discussed her life, career, and struggles with health.Garr is survived by her daughter, Molly O’Neil, and a grandson, Tyryn.
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