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.
Photos
Movies (112)
Mel Brooks: Unwrapped
2018 · Self (archive footage)
Mel Brooks: Make a Noise
2013 · Self (archive footage)
A Better Man: The Making of 'Tootsie'
2008 · Self
Kabluey
2007 · Suze
Expired
2007 · Claire's Mother / Aunt Tilde
Unaccompanied Minors
2006 · Aunt Judy (uncredited)
A Taste Of Jupiter
2005 · Ginnie
The Wiki-Tiki Tail of Aloha Scooby-Doo
2005 · Self
Aloha Scooby-Doo!
2005 · Mayor Molly Quinn (voice)
The Dream Studio
2004 · self
Searching for Debra Winger
2002 · Self
Life Without Dick
2002 · Madame Hugonaut
Mundo Fantasma
2001 · Maxine (uncredited)
The Sky is Falling
2001 · Mona Hall
The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'
2001 · Self
A Colder Kind of Death
2001 · Tess Malone
Batman del Futuro: El Regreso del Guasón
2000 · Mary McGinnis (voice)
Dick
1999 · Helen Lorenzo
Half a Dozen Babies
1999 · Lee Dilley
Kill the Man
1999 · Mrs. Livingston
Batman Beyond: The Movie
1999 · Mary McGinnis (voice)
Casper Meets Wendy
1998 · Fanny
A Simple Wish
1997 · Rena
The Definite Maybe
1997 · Dionne Waters
Changing Habits
1997 · Connie
NightScream
1997 · Julie Ordwell
Ronnie and Julie
1997 · Elizabeth Monroe
Murder Live!
1997 · JoAnn McGrath
Michael
1996 · Judge Esther Newberg
Double Jeopardy
1996 · Cindy Dubroski
Making Frankensense of Young Frankenstein
1996 · Inga (archive footage)
Shining Time Station: One of the Family
1995 · Sister Conductor
Perfect Alibi
1995 · Laney Tolbert
Prêt-à-Porter
1994 · Louise Hamilton
Dumb and Dumber
1994 · Helen Swanson
Aliens for Breakfast
1994 · Mrs. Bickerstaff
Fugitive Nights: Danger in the Desert
1993 · Brita Burrows
Mom and Dad Save the World
1992 · Marge Nelson
The Player
1992 · Teri Garr
Deliver Them from Evil: The Taking of Alta View
1992 · Susan Woolley
Robert Altman's Players
1992 · Self
Stranger in the Family
1991 · Randi Thompson
The Best of Disney: 50 Years of Magic
1991 · Self
A Quiet Little Neighborhood, a Perfect Little Murder
1990 · Marsha Pegler
Waiting for the Light
1990 · Kay
Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme
1990 · Jill (of Jack and Jill)
Short Time
1990 · Carolyn Simpson
Let It Ride
1989 · Pam
Out Cold
1989 · Sunny
Full Moon in Blue Water
1988 · Louise
Jackie Gleason: The Great One
1988 · Self
Flapjack Floozie
1988 · Helen Eagles
Paul Reiser: Out on a Whim
1987 · Self
Martin Mull Live from North Ridgeville, Ohio
1987 · Self
Pack of Lies
1987 · Helen Schaefer
Miracles
1986 · Jean
Intimate Strangers
1986 · Sally Bierston
After Hours
1985 · Julie
The History of White People in America
1985 · Self
Night of 100 Stars II
1985 · Self
Firstborn
1984 · Wendy
Steve Martin Live!
1984 · Self
To Catch a King
1984 · Hannah Winter
The Winter of Our Discontent
1983 · Mary Hawley
Mr. Mom
1983 · Caroline
The Black Stallion Returns
1983 · Alec Ramsay's Mother
Do It Debbie's Way
1983 · Self
The Sting II
1983 · Veronica
Tootsie
1982 · Sandy Lester
The Tale of the Frog Prince
1982 · Princess
The Escape Artist
1982 · Arlene
One from the Heart
1982 · Frannie
Prime Suspect
1982 · Amy McCleary
The Making of 'Tootsie'
1982 · Self
Honky Tonk Freeway
1981 · Ericka
Inside the Coppola Personality
1981 · Self
Rendez-Vous Video Magazine
1981 · Self (segment "Coppola")
Witches' Brew
1980 · Margaret Lightman
Doctor Franken
1980 · Kelli Fisher
The Black Stallion
1979 · Alec's Mother
Mr. Mike's Mondo Video
1979 · Self
Java Junkie
1979 · Waitress
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
1977 · Ronnie Neary
Rolling Stone Magazine: The 10th Anniversary
1977 · Self
Once Upon a Brothers Grimm
1977 · Frog Princess
Oh, God!
1977 · Bobbie Landers
The Absent-Minded Waiter
1977 · Susan Cates
Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood
1976 · Fluffy Peters
Law and Order
1976 · Rita Wasinski
Young Frankenstein
1974 · Inga
The Conversation
1974 · Amy Fredericks
Summertree
1971 · Bennie's Girlfriend (uncredited)
The Moonshine War
1970 · Young Wife
You Haven't Changed a Bit
1970 · Corinne
Changes
1969 · Waitress
Head
1968 · Testy True
Maryjane
1968 · Teri
Clambake
1967 · Dancer (uncredited)
The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk
1967 · Susie
The Cool Ones
1967 · Whiz Girl
For Pete's Sake
1966 · MarJean
Where's the Bus?
1966 · Girl
Red Line 7000
1965 · Nightclub Dancer (uncredited)
John Goldfarb, Please Come Home!
1965 · Harem Girl (uncredited)
The T.A.M.I. Show
1964 · Self - Go-Go Dancer (uncredited)
Pajama Party
1964 · Pajama Girl
Roustabout
1964 · Carnival Dancer (uncredited)
What a Way to Go!
1964 · Shipboard Number Dancer (uncredited)
Kissin' Cousins
1964 · Hillbilly Dancer (uncredited)
Viva Las Vegas
1964 · Dancer (uncredited)
Fun in Acapulco
1963 · Hotel Guest (uncredited)
A Swingin' Affair
1963
TV shows (58)
Legends
2006 · Inga (archive footage) (uncredited)
Crumbs
2006 · Lorraine Bergman
The Tony Danza Show
2004 · Self
Life with Bonnie
2002 · Mrs. Abigail Portinbody
What's New, Scooby-Doo?
2002 · Sandy Gordon (voice)
Strong Medicine
2000 · Mimi Stark
La Ley y el Orden: Unidad de Víctimas Especiales
1999 · Minerva Grahame-Bishop
Batman Beyond
1999 · Mary McGinnis (voice)
Felicity
1998 · Dr. Zwick
The Weird Al Show
1997 · Teri Garr
King of the Hill
1997 · Laney (voice)
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
1996 · Yenta
Men Behaving Badly
1996 · Carol
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
1996 · Self - Guest
Great Drives
1996 · Self - Host
Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist
1995 · Teri (voice), Additional Writing
Women of the House
1995 · Sissy Emerson
Friends
1994 · Phoebe Sr.
ER
1994 · Celinda Randlett
Duckman
1994 · Vanessa La Pert (voice)
Intimate Portrait
1993 · Self
Frasier
1993 · Nancy (voice)
Good Advice
1993 · Paige Turner
The Larry Sanders Show
1992 · Teri Garr
Adventures in Wonderland
1992 · Duchess
Good & Evil
1991 · Denise Sandler
The General Motors Playwrights Theater
1991 · Edna Doe
Dream On
1990 · Sandra McCadden
Tales from the Crypt
1989 · Irene Paloma ("segment "The Trap")
Murphy Brown
1988 · Teri Garr
Fresno
1986 · Talon Kensington
Faerie Tale Theatre
1982 · Self, Princess
Wogan
1982 · Self
Please Turn the Page
1977 · Self
Saturday Night Live
1975 · Self - Host, Diner Waitress (uncredited), Self (uncredited)
The Girl with Something Extra
1973 · Amber
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
1973 · Self
Barnaby Jones
1973 · Maria Thompson
M*A*S*H
1972 · Lt. Suzanne Marquette
The Bob Newhart Show
1972 · Miss Brennan
Banyon
1972 · Mabel
The New Dick Van Dyke Show
1971 · Waitress
The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour
1971 · Wife/Singer
The Odd Couple
1970 · Insurance Agent
McCloud
1970 · Sgt. Phyllis Norton, Nora Mullins
Mayberry R.F.D.
1968 · Cashier
It Takes a Thief
1968 · Maggie Philbin
The Mothers-in-Law
1967 · Usherette
Star Trek
1966 · Roberta Lincoln
That Girl
1966 · Estelle, Actress #1 At Audition (uncredited)
Batman
1966 · Girl Outside Rink (uncredited)
Shindig!
1964 · Self - Dancer, Self
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962 · Self
The Merv Griffin Show
1962 · Self
The Mike Douglas Show
1961 · Self
Dr. Kildare
1961 · Naomi (uncredited)
The Andy Griffith Show
1960 · Girl in Red Convertible
Golden Globe Awards
1944 · Self