Teri Garr
Teri Ann Garr (December 11, 1944 – October 29, 2024) was an American actress, dancer and singer. She frequently appeared in comedic roles throughout her career, which spanned four decades and includes over 140 credits in film and television. Her accolades include one Academy Award nomination, a BAFTA Award nomination, and one National Board of Review Award. Born in Lakewood, Ohio, Garr was raised in North Hollywood. She was the third child of a comedic-actor father and a studio costumer mother. In her youth, Garr trained in ballet and other forms of dance. She began her career as a teenager with small roles in television and film in the early 1960s, including appearances as a dancer in six Elvis Presley musicals. After spending two years attending college, Garr left Los Angeles and studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Institute in New York City. Her self-described "big break" as an actress was landing a role in the Star Trek episode "Assignment: Earth," after which she said, "I finally started to get real acting work." Garr had a supporting role in Francis Ford Coppola's thriller "The Conversation" (1974) before having her film breakthrough as Inga in "Young Frankenstein" (1974). In 1977, she was cast in a high-profile role in Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." Garr continued to appear in various high-profile roles throughout the 1980s, including supporting parts in the comedies "Tootsie" (1982), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role of Sandra Lester, and then appearing opposite Michael Keaton the next year in "Mr. Mom" (1983). She reunited with Coppola the same year, appearing in his musical "One from the Heart" (1982), followed by a supporting part in Martin Scorsese's black comedy "After Hours" (1985). Her quick banter led to Garr being a regular guest on "The Tonight Show" starring Johnny Carson and "Late Night with David Letterman." In the 1990s, she appeared in two films by Robert Altman: "The Player" (1992) and "Prêt-à-Porter" (1994), followed by supporting roles in "Michael" (1996) and "Ghost World" (2001). She also appeared on television as Phoebe Abbott in three episodes of the sitcom "Friends" (1997–98). In 2002, Garr announced that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, the symptoms of which had negatively affected her ability to perform beginning in the 1990s. After years of declining health, she passed away on October 29, 2024.
Filmography
Mel Brooks: Unwrapped
as Self (archive footage)
Mel Brooks: Unwrapped
as Self (archive footage)
Mel Brooks: Make a Noise
as Self (archive footage)
Mel Brooks: Make a Noise
as Self (archive footage)
A Better Man: The Making of 'Tootsie'
as Self
A Better Man: The Making of 'Tootsie'
as Self
Kabluey
as Suze
Kabluey
as Suze
Expired
as Claire's Mother / Aunt Tilde
Expired
as Claire's Mother / Aunt Tilde
Unaccompanied Minors
as Aunt Judy (uncredited)
Unaccompanied Minors
as Aunt Judy (uncredited)
A Taste Of Jupiter
as Ginnie
A Taste Of Jupiter
as Ginnie
Aloha Scooby-Doo!
as Mayor Molly Quinn (voice)
Aloha Scooby-Doo!
as Mayor Molly Quinn (voice)
The Dream Studio
as self
The Dream Studio
as self
Life Without Dick
as Madame Hugonaut
Life Without Dick
as Madame Hugonaut
Ghost World
as Maxine (uncredited)
Ghost World
as Maxine (uncredited)
The Sky is Falling
as Mona Hall
The Sky is Falling
as Mona Hall
The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'
as Self
The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'
as Self
A Colder Kind of Death
as Tess Malone
A Colder Kind of Death
as Tess Malone
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
as Mary McGinnis (voice)
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
as Mary McGinnis (voice)
Dick
as Helen Lorenzo
Dick
as Helen Lorenzo
Half a Dozen Babies
as Lee Dilley
Half a Dozen Babies
as Lee Dilley
Kill the Man
as Mrs. Livingston
Kill the Man
as Mrs. Livingston
Batman Beyond: The Movie
as Mary McGinnis (voice)
Batman Beyond: The Movie
as Mary McGinnis (voice)
A Simple Wish
as Rena
A Simple Wish
as Rena
The Definite Maybe
as Dionne Waters
The Definite Maybe
as Dionne Waters
Changing Habits
as Connie
Changing Habits
as Connie
NightScream
as Julie Ordwell
NightScream
as Julie Ordwell
Ronnie and Julie
as Elizabeth Monroe
Ronnie and Julie
as Elizabeth Monroe
Murder Live!
as JoAnn McGrath
Murder Live!
as JoAnn McGrath
Double Jeopardy
as Cindy Dubroski
Double Jeopardy
as Cindy Dubroski
Making Frankensense of Young Frankenstein
as Inga (archive footage)
Making Frankensense of Young Frankenstein
as Inga (archive footage)
Shining Time Station: One of the Family
as Sister Conductor
Shining Time Station: One of the Family
as Sister Conductor
Prêt-à-Porter
as Louise Hamilton
Prêt-à-Porter
as Louise Hamilton
Dumb and Dumber
as Helen Swanson
Dumb and Dumber
as Helen Swanson
Aliens for Breakfast
as Mrs. Bickerstaff
Aliens for Breakfast
as Mrs. Bickerstaff
Fugitive Nights: Danger in the Desert
as Brita Burrows
Fugitive Nights: Danger in the Desert
as Brita Burrows
Mom and Dad Save the World
as Marge Nelson
Mom and Dad Save the World
as Marge Nelson
The Player
as Teri Garr
The Player
as Teri Garr
Deliver Them from Evil: The Taking of Alta View
as Susan Woolley
Deliver Them from Evil: The Taking of Alta View
as Susan Woolley
Robert Altman's Players
as Self
Robert Altman's Players
as Self
Stranger in the Family
as Randi Thompson
Stranger in the Family
as Randi Thompson
The Best of Disney: 50 Years of Magic
as Self
The Best of Disney: 50 Years of Magic
as Self
A Quiet Little Neighborhood, a Perfect Little Murder
as Marsha Pegler
A Quiet Little Neighborhood, a Perfect Little Murder
as Marsha Pegler
Short Time
as Carolyn Simpson
Short Time
as Carolyn Simpson
Out Cold
as Sunny
Out Cold
as Sunny
Full Moon in Blue Water
as Louise
Full Moon in Blue Water
as Louise
Jackie Gleason: The Great One
as Self
Jackie Gleason: The Great One
as Self
Flapjack Floozie
as Helen Eagles
Flapjack Floozie
as Helen Eagles
Paul Reiser: Out on a Whim
as Self
Paul Reiser: Out on a Whim
as Self
Martin Mull Live from North Ridgeville, Ohio
as Self
Martin Mull Live from North Ridgeville, Ohio
as Self
Pack of Lies
as Helen Schaefer
Pack of Lies
as Helen Schaefer
Miracles
as Jean
Miracles
as Jean
Night of 100 Stars II
as Self
Night of 100 Stars II
as Self
To Catch a King
as Hannah Winter
To Catch a King
as Hannah Winter
Mr. Mom
as Caroline
Mr. Mom
as Caroline
The Sting II
as Veronica
The Sting II
as Veronica
Tootsie
as Sandy Lester
Tootsie
as Sandy Lester
One from the Heart
as Frannie
One from the Heart
as Frannie
Witches' Brew
as Margaret Lightman
Witches' Brew
as Margaret Lightman
Doctor Franken
as Kelli Fisher
Doctor Franken
as Kelli Fisher
The Black Stallion
as Alec's Mother
The Black Stallion
as Alec's Mother
Rolling Stone Magazine: The 10th Anniversary
as Self
Rolling Stone Magazine: The 10th Anniversary
as Self
Once Upon a Brothers Grimm
as Frog Princess
Once Upon a Brothers Grimm
as Frog Princess
Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood
as Fluffy Peters
Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood
as Fluffy Peters
The Moonshine War
as Young Wife
The Moonshine War
as Young Wife
You Haven't Changed a Bit
as Corinne
You Haven't Changed a Bit
as Corinne
Changes
as Waitress
Changes
as Waitress
Clambake
as Dancer (uncredited)
Clambake
as Dancer (uncredited)
The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk
as Susie
The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk
as Susie
The Cool Ones
as Whiz Girl
The Cool Ones
as Whiz Girl
For Pete's Sake
as MarJean
For Pete's Sake
as MarJean
Red Line 7000
as Nightclub Dancer (uncredited)
Red Line 7000
as Nightclub Dancer (uncredited)
John Goldfarb, Please Come Home!
as Harem Girl (uncredited)
John Goldfarb, Please Come Home!
as Harem Girl (uncredited)
Pajama Party
as Pajama Girl
Pajama Party
as Pajama Girl
Roustabout
as Carnival Dancer (uncredited)
Roustabout
as Carnival Dancer (uncredited)
What a Way to Go!
as Shipboard Number Dancer (uncredited)
What a Way to Go!
as Shipboard Number Dancer (uncredited)
Viva Las Vegas
as Dancer (uncredited)
Viva Las Vegas
as Dancer (uncredited)
Fun in Acapulco
as Hotel Guest (uncredited)
Fun in Acapulco
as Hotel Guest (uncredited)