Teri Garr
Acting
Born: December 11, 1944 · Lakewood, Ohio, USA
Died: October 29, 2024 (aged 79)
Highest Rated
Biography
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.
Known for
Friends
1994
Dumb and Dumber
1994
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
1977
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
1999
Young Frankenstein
1974
The Conversation
1974
Tootsie
1982
After Hours
1985
Ghost World
2001
Star Trek
1966
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
1996
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
2000
Photos (7)
Movies (87)
Dumb and Dumber
Helen Swanson
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Ronnie Neary
Young Frankenstein
Inga
The Conversation
Amy Fredericks
The Player
Teri Garr
After Hours
Julie
Tootsie
Sandy Lester
Unaccompanied Minors
Aunt Judy (uncredited)
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
Mary McGinnis (voice)
Mr. Mom
Caroline
Michael
Judge Esther Newberg
Prêt-à-Porter
Louise Hamilton
The Black Stallion
Alec's Mother
Viva Las Vegas
Dancer (uncredited)
Ghost World
Maxine (uncredited)
Batman Beyond: The Movie
Mary McGinnis (voice)
Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood
Fluffy Peters
Aloha Scooby-Doo!
Mayor Molly Quinn (voice)
Clambake
Dancer (uncredited)
A Simple Wish
Rena
One from the Heart
Frannie
Casper Meets Wendy
Fanny
Dick
Helen Lorenzo
Roustabout
Carnival Dancer (uncredited)
Head
Testy True
What a Way to Go!
Shipboard Number Dancer (uncredited)
Oh, God!
Bobbie Landers
Honky Tonk Freeway
Ericka
Kissin' Cousins
Hillbilly Dancer (uncredited)
Let It Ride
Pam
Pajama Party
Pajama Girl
Mom and Dad Save the World
Marge Nelson
Kabluey
Suze
Firstborn
Wendy
The Escape Artist
Arlene
Full Moon in Blue Water
Louise
Short Time
Carolyn Simpson
Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme
Jill (of Jack and Jill)
The Sting II
Veronica
Fun in Acapulco
Hotel Guest (uncredited)
NightScream
Julie Ordwell
The Black Stallion Returns
Alec Ramsay's Mother
Out Cold
Sunny
Kill the Man
Mrs. Livingston
Life Without Dick
Madame Hugonaut
Red Line 7000
Nightclub Dancer (uncredited)
The Moonshine War
Young Wife
John Goldfarb, Please Come Home!
Harem Girl (uncredited)
Double Jeopardy
Cindy Dubroski
Pack of Lies
Helen Schaefer
To Catch a King
Hannah Winter
Waiting for the Light
Kay
The Sky is Falling
Mona Hall
The Winter of Our Discontent
Mary Hawley
Fugitive Nights: Danger in the Desert
Brita Burrows
The Absent-Minded Waiter
Susan Cates
Prime Suspect
Amy McCleary
Miracles
Jean
Maryjane
Teri
Doctor Franken
Kelli Fisher
Witches' Brew
Margaret Lightman
Ronnie and Julie
Elizabeth Monroe
Law and Order
Rita Wasinski
The Tale of the Frog Prince
Princess
The Cool Ones
Whiz Girl
Stranger in the Family
Randi Thompson
Changing Habits
Connie
Half a Dozen Babies
Lee Dilley
Perfect Alibi
Laney Tolbert
Murder Live!
JoAnn McGrath
Expired
Claire's Mother / Aunt Tilde
The Definite Maybe
Dionne Waters
Summertree
Bennie's Girlfriend (uncredited)
Making Frankensense of Young Frankenstein
Inga (archive footage)
Deliver Them from Evil: The Taking of Alta View
Susan Woolley
For Pete's Sake
MarJean
A Colder Kind of Death
Tess Malone
Once Upon a Brothers Grimm
Frog Princess
Changes
Waitress
Aliens for Breakfast
Mrs. Bickerstaff
A Taste Of Jupiter
Ginnie
A Swingin' Affair
1963
You Haven't Changed a Bit
Corinne
Java Junkie
Waitress
Intimate Strangers
Sally Bierston
Where's the Bus?
Girl
Flapjack Floozie
Helen Eagles
TV Shows (47)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Minerva Grahame-Bishop · 1 eps
Friends
Phoebe Sr. · 3 eps
Frasier
Nancy (voice) · 1 eps
King of the Hill
Laney (voice) · 1 eps
Saturday Night Live
Diner Waitress (uncredited) · 1 eps
The Andy Griffith Show
Girl in Red Convertible · 1 eps
Star Trek
Roberta Lincoln · 1 eps
ER
Celinda Randlett · 1 eps
M*A*S*H
Lt. Suzanne Marquette · 1 eps
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
Yenta · 1 eps
Murphy Brown
Teri Garr · 1 eps
Strong Medicine
Mimi Stark · 1 eps
Batman
Girl Outside Rink (uncredited) · 1 eps
Dr. Kildare
Naomi (uncredited) · 1 eps
Batman Beyond
Mary McGinnis (voice) · 7 eps
Tales from the Crypt
Irene Paloma ("segment "The Trap") · 1 eps
The Bob Newhart Show
Miss Brennan · 2 eps
The Larry Sanders Show
Teri Garr · 1 eps
Barnaby Jones
Maria Thompson · 1 eps
Felicity
Dr. Zwick · 1 eps
What's New, Scooby-Doo?
Sandy Gordon (voice) · 1 eps
Duckman
Vanessa La Pert (voice) · 1 eps
Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist
Teri (voice) · 1 eps
The Odd Couple
Insurance Agent · 1 eps
That Girl
Estelle · 1 eps
That Girl
Actress #1 At Audition (uncredited) · 1 eps
McCloud
Sgt. Phyllis Norton · 2 eps
McCloud
Nora Mullins · 1 eps
Dream On
Sandra McCadden · 2 eps
Faerie Tale Theatre
Princess · 1 eps
It Takes a Thief
Maggie Philbin · 2 eps
Mayberry R.F.D.
Cashier · 1 eps
The New Dick Van Dyke Show
Waitress · 1 eps
Men Behaving Badly
Carol · 1 eps
Legends
Inga (archive footage) (uncredited) · 1 eps
The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour
Wife/Singer · 1 eps
Life with Bonnie
Mrs. Abigail Portinbody · 1 eps
Adventures in Wonderland
Duchess · 6 eps
The Mothers-in-Law
Usherette · 1 eps
Banyon
Mabel · 1 eps
The Weird Al Show
Teri Garr · 1 eps
Women of the House
Sissy Emerson · 13 eps
Good Advice
Paige Turner · 13 eps
The Girl with Something Extra
Amber · 22 eps
Crumbs
Lorraine Bergman · 1 eps
Fresno
Talon Kensington · 5 eps
Good & Evil
Denise Sandler · 11 eps
Self / Appearances (33)
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self · 46 eps
Saturday Night Live
Self - Host · 3 eps
Saturday Night Live
Self (uncredited) · 1 eps
Golden Globe Awards
Self · 3 eps
The Mike Douglas Show
Self · 1 eps
The Merv Griffin Show
Self · 2 eps
Wogan
Self · 1 eps
Intimate Portrait
Self · 1 eps
Faerie Tale Theatre
Self · 1 eps
Shindig!
Self - Dancer · 4 eps
Shindig!
Self · 1 eps
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
Self · 1 eps
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
Self - Guest · 1 eps
Paul Reiser: Out on a Whim
Self
The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'
Self
Night of 100 Stars II
Self
Searching for Debra Winger
Self
The Best of Disney: 50 Years of Magic
Self
Mel Brooks: Unwrapped
Self (archive footage)
The T.A.M.I. Show
Self - Go-Go Dancer (uncredited)
The History of White People in America
Self
Mr. Mike's Mondo Video
Self
Steve Martin Live!
Self
Robert Altman's Players
Self
Rolling Stone Magazine: The 10th Anniversary
Self
Mel Brooks: Make a Noise
Self (archive footage)
A Better Man: The Making of 'Tootsie'
Self
Martin Mull Live from North Ridgeville, Ohio
Self
Do It Debbie's Way
Self
The Dream Studio
self
The Making of 'Tootsie'
Self
Rendez-Vous Video Magazine
Self (segment "Coppola")
Inside the Coppola Personality
Self