Garr’s breakout role was as sexy Inga in Young Frankenstein. She earned an Oscar nomination for her role in the 1982 film Tootsie, and played Phoebe’s mom on the sitcom Friends.
Teri Garr, an actor and comedian who later became an ambassador for multiple sclerosis after her own diagnosis in 1999, died Tuesday at her home in Los Angeles. She was 79 years old and died of complications from multiple sclerosis.
Garr started her entertainment career as a dancer in nine Elvis Presley films, including Viva Las Vegas and Clambake. She shifted from dancing to acting with bit parts on Dr. Kildare, Batman, Star Trek, That Girl, The Bob Newhart Show and Maude.
«She hit a number of the high spots of that period in terms of what would be considered quality TV then», observed Kelly Kessler, associate professor of media and cinema studies at DePaul University. «But then we see her popping up kind of making this natural transition from the early dance stuff that she did in the Elvis movies .
