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