Teri Garr, star of “Young Frankenstein” and “Tootsie,” has died at age 79

CNN
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Teri Garr, an Oscar-nominated actress known for her work in films such as “Young Frankenstein,” “Tootsie” and “Mr. According to her manager, “Mom” has died.

She was 79.

Garr died Tuesday in Los Angeles, more than twenty years after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, her manager Marc Gurvitz told CNN.

She first publicly shared her diagnosis in an interview with CNN in 2002 to raise awareness for other people living with MS.

“I think everyone is afraid and frightened when they hear something like that,” Garr recalls of first learning of her diagnosis after seeing 11 doctors and experiencing symptoms she couldn’t explain for years. “That's because there's so much – you know, there's not a lot of information about it. And a lot of people don't know that it's not that bad. I mean, I’m moving on with my life.”

The daughter of a Broadway performer and a Rockette mother, Garr learned dance as a child and began auditioning shortly after graduating from high school in Los Angeles. Her first performances included dancing and appearing as an extra in films such as Elvis Presley's “Viva Las Vegas.”

“I finally asked myself, ‘Why am I not in front?’” Garr reflected on this later. “I didn’t study all these years just to be at the back and not get any money.”

The 1970s proved to be a productive time for Garr, appearing in several episodes of the sketch comedy series “The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour,” “The New Dick Van Dyke Show,” “The Odd Couple” and “The Bob Newhart.” show, among many others.

Her big break came in 1974 when she played the role of Inga in the Mel Brooks-directed comedy “Young Frankenstein” alongside Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn and Marty Feldman.

Two years later, Garr appeared in one of her most notable roles when she played Ronnie Neary, a woman who attempts to overcome her husband's (Richard Dreyfuss) inexplicable obsession as a result of an encounter, in Steven Spielberg's 1977 sci-fi epic Close “To understand encounters of the third kind with extraterrestrials.”

In “Tootsie,” Garr played a put-upon, struggling actress who dated Dustin Hoffman's protagonist, who in turn gained fame by impersonating a woman on a soap opera. The role earned Garr a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the 1983 Academy Awards.

“I was proud,” Garr wrote of the nomination in her 2005 memoir “Speedbumps.” “Not only did the Academy know I existed, they thought I was good!”

Also in 1983, she played advertising executive Caroline Butler in the stirring family comedy “Mr. Mom” alongside Michael Keaton.

In a 2012 interview, Garr said she wasn't surprised that two of her most memorable roles were about breaking stereotypes about gender norms.

“I get annoyed when they write the role of a woman who is just a sexy femme fatale who seduces people into getting her way, perpetuating the myth that women have to act like that instead of using their wits or wit Garr mused.

Her career continued with further film and television work. In the '90s, Garr appeared in Good & Evil (1991), Good Advice (1994) and Women of the House (1995).

Garr was known for her slightly confused and zany comic timing, which naturally made her the perfect candidate to play the mother of Lisa Kudrow's Phoebe Buffay on Friends. Garr appeared in a total of three episodes in the third and fourth seasons.

In the 2000s, Garr made guest appearances on Felicity, ER and Live with Bonnie. In the early hours, she also dabbled in voice acting work, portraying the character of Mary McGinnis in the animated series Batman Beyond and in 2003, portraying the voice of Sandy Gordon in What's New, Scooby Doo? Animated series.

Garr's most recent claim to fame came in 2011 with her appearance on the television series How to Marry a Billionaire.

This story has been updated with additional information.