Teri Garr has died at the age of 79. The beloved actress was well known for her roles in movies and on television over the years. Her credits are impressive with parts in films such as Tootsie, Young Frankenstein, Mr. Mom, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. She also boasted TV roles on shows such as Friends, Dream On, and Star Trek. Sadly, her death comes the day after the first anniversary of her Friends co-star Matthew Perry‘s passing.
Teri Garr’s cause of death was multiple sclerosis, per TODAY. The actress had been battling the disease for some time, but it wasn’t her only recent health issue. In 2007, she was forced to have surgery to repair an aneurysm.
Garr’s impressive talents as an actress, comedian, and even dancer seemed to have been inherited from her parents. Her father, Eddie Garr, was a vaudeville comedian. Meanwhile, her mother, Phyllis Lind, was one of the original Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall in New York. The couple put their daughter in dance lessons as a child. During her teenage years, Garr began to land small film parts and appeared in a production of West Side Story.
Teri Garr Dies Just One Day After Friends Co-Star Matthew Perry’s First Death Anniversary
In 1993, Garr married contractor John O’Neill. The couple went on to adopt a daughter named Molly. However, they divorced just three years later in 1996.
Millienal fans will likely remember the actress for her role as the biological mother of Lisa Kudrow’s Friends character, Pheobe Buffay. Garr appeared in three episodes of the hit comedy series, and gave a memorable and hilarious performance as a woman reconnecting with her long-lost daughter.
Fans of the show were devastated to hear about Garr’s passing. Especially just one year after the emotional death of Matthew Perry.
“She was one of those people I grew up with. My TV mom. I am so sad,” one person wrote via Reddit.
“Gone just one day after the first anniversary of Matthew Perry’s death. Friends fans are not okay right now. She was an icon,” another stated.
“I just watched the episodes she was in last night! She was perfect. When I saw that episode the first time, I said, ‘Oooo! She’s gotta be Phoebe’s birth mom.’ She had Lisa Kudrow’s mannerisms down perfectly,” gushed a third fan.
“I watch Young Frankenstein every Halloween so this is both heartbreaking & poetic. She is so good in that movie and she never fails to get me to laugh,” a fourth comment read.
Teri Garr’s publicist, Heidi Schaeffer confirmed that the actress was “surrounded by family and friends,” at the time of her death. Those loved ones, as well as her long career will certainly keep her memory alive.
