Acting · Lakewood, Ohio, USA · Born December 11, 1944
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.
MovieMel Brooks: Unwrapped
2018
as Self (archive footage)
MovieMel Brooks: Make a Noise
2013
as Self (archive footage)
MovieA Better Man: The Making of 'Tootsie'
2008
as Self
MovieKabluey
2007
as Suze
MovieExpired
2007
as Claire's Mother / Aunt Tilde
MovieUnaccompanied Minors
2006
as Aunt Judy (uncredited)
TVLegends
2006
as Inga (archive footage) (uncredited)
TVCrumbs
2006
as Lorraine Bergman
MovieA Taste Of Jupiter
2005
as Ginnie
The Wiki-Tiki Tail of Aloha Scooby-Doo
2005
as Self
MovieAloha Scooby-Doo!
2005
as Mayor Molly Quinn (voice)
The Tony Danza Show
2004
as Self
MovieThe Dream Studio
2004
as self
TVLife with Bonnie
2002
as Mrs. Abigail Portinbody
TVWhat's New, Scooby-Doo?
2002
as Sandy Gordon (voice)
MovieSearching for Debra Winger
2002
as Self
MovieLife Without Dick
2002
as Madame Hugonaut
MovieGhost World
2001
as Maxine (uncredited)
MovieThe Sky is Falling
2001
as Mona Hall
MovieThe Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'
2001
as Self
MovieA Colder Kind of Death
2001
as Tess Malone
MovieBatman Beyond: Return of the Joker
2000
as Mary McGinnis (voice)
TVStrong Medicine
2000
as Mimi Stark
TVLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit
1999
as Minerva Grahame-Bishop
MovieDick
1999
as Helen Lorenzo
MovieHalf a Dozen Babies
1999
as Lee Dilley
MovieKill the Man
1999
as Mrs. Livingston
MovieBatman Beyond: The Movie
1999
as Mary McGinnis (voice)
TVBatman Beyond
1999
as Mary McGinnis (voice)
TVFelicity
1998
as Dr. Zwick
MovieCasper Meets Wendy
1998
as Fanny
TVThe Weird Al Show
1997
as Teri Garr
MovieA Simple Wish
1997
as Rena
MovieThe Definite Maybe
1997
as Dionne Waters
MovieChanging Habits
1997
as Connie
MovieNightScream
1997
as Julie Ordwell
MovieRonnie and Julie
1997
as Elizabeth Monroe
MovieMurder Live!
1997
as JoAnn McGrath
TVKing of the Hill
1997
as Laney (voice)
MovieMichael
1996
as Judge Esther Newberg
TVSabrina, the Teenage Witch
1996
as Yenta
TVMen Behaving Badly
1996
as Carol
TVThe Rosie O'Donnell Show
1996
as Self - Guest
MovieDouble Jeopardy
1996
as Cindy Dubroski
MovieMaking Frankensense of Young Frankenstein
1996
as Inga (archive footage)
Great Drives
1996
as Self - Host
Shining Time Station: One of the Family
1995
as Sister Conductor
MoviePerfect Alibi
1995
as Laney Tolbert
TVDr. Katz, Professional Therapist
1995
as Teri (voice)
TVWomen of the House
1995
as Sissy Emerson
MoviePrêt-à-Porter
1994
as Louise Hamilton
MovieDumb and Dumber
1994
as Helen Swanson
TVFriends
1994
as Phoebe Sr.
TVER
1994
as Celinda Randlett
MovieAliens for Breakfast
1994
as Mrs. Bickerstaff
TVDuckman
1994
as Vanessa La Pert (voice)
MovieFugitive Nights: Danger in the Desert
1993
as Brita Burrows
TVIntimate Portrait
1993
as Self
TVFrasier
1993
as Nancy (voice)
TVGood Advice
1993
as Paige Turner
TVThe Larry Sanders Show
1992
as Teri Garr
MovieMom and Dad Save the World
1992
as Marge Nelson
MovieThe Player
1992
as Teri Garr
MovieDeliver Them from Evil: The Taking of Alta View
1992
as Susan Woolley
TVAdventures in Wonderland
1992
as Duchess
MovieRobert Altman's Players
1992
as Self
MovieStranger in the Family
1991
as Randi Thompson
TVGood & Evil
1991
as Denise Sandler
MovieThe Best of Disney: 50 Years of Magic
1991
as Self
The General Motors Playwrights Theater
1991
as Edna Doe
A Quiet Little Neighborhood, a Perfect Little Murder
1990
as Marsha Pegler
TVDream On
1990
as Sandra McCadden
MovieWaiting for the Light
1990
as Kay
MovieMother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme
1990
as Jill (of Jack and Jill)
MovieShort Time
1990
as Carolyn Simpson
MovieLet It Ride
1989
as Pam
TVTales from the Crypt
1989
as Irene Paloma ("segment "The Trap")
MovieOut Cold
1989
as Sunny
MovieFull Moon in Blue Water
1988
as Louise
TVMurphy Brown
1988
as Teri Garr
Jackie Gleason: The Great One
1988
as Self
MovieFlapjack Floozie
1988
as Helen Eagles
MoviePaul Reiser: Out on a Whim
1987
as Self
MovieMartin Mull Live from North Ridgeville, Ohio
1987
as Self
MoviePack of Lies
1987
as Helen Schaefer
TVFresno
1986
as Talon Kensington
MovieMiracles
1986
as Jean
MovieIntimate Strangers
1986
as Sally Bierston
MovieAfter Hours
1985
as Julie
MovieThe History of White People in America
1985
as Self
MovieNight of 100 Stars II
1985
as Self
MovieFirstborn
1984
as Wendy
MovieSteve Martin Live!
1984
as Self
MovieTo Catch a King
1984
as Hannah Winter
MovieThe Winter of Our Discontent
1983
as Mary Hawley
MovieMr. Mom
1983
as Caroline
MovieThe Black Stallion Returns
1983
as Alec Ramsay's Mother
MovieDo It Debbie's Way
1983
as Self
MovieThe Sting II
1983
as Veronica
MovieTootsie
1982
as Sandy Lester
MovieThe Tale of the Frog Prince
1982
as Princess
TVFaerie Tale Theatre
1982
as Self
MovieThe Escape Artist
1982
as Arlene
TVWogan
1982
as Self
MovieOne from the Heart
1982
as Frannie
MoviePrime Suspect
1982
as Amy McCleary
MovieThe Making of 'Tootsie'
1982
as Self
MovieHonky Tonk Freeway
1981
as Ericka
MovieInside the Coppola Personality
1981
as Self
MovieRendez-Vous Video Magazine
1981
as Self (segment "Coppola")
MovieWitches' Brew
1980
as Margaret Lightman
MovieDoctor Franken
1980
as Kelli Fisher
MovieThe Black Stallion
1979
as Alec's Mother
MovieMr. Mike's Mondo Video
1979
as Self
MovieJava Junkie
1979
as Waitress
MovieClose Encounters of the Third Kind
1977
as Ronnie Neary
MovieRolling Stone Magazine: The 10th Anniversary
1977
as Self
MovieOnce Upon a Brothers Grimm
1977
as Frog Princess
MovieOh, God!
1977
as Bobbie Landers
MovieThe Absent-Minded Waiter
1977
as Susan Cates
Please Turn the Page
1977
as Self
MovieWon Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood
1976
as Fluffy Peters
MovieLaw and Order
1976
as Rita Wasinski
TVSaturday Night Live
1975
as Self - Host
MovieYoung Frankenstein
1974
as Inga
MovieThe Conversation
1974
as Amy Fredericks
TVThe Girl with Something Extra
1973
as Amber
TVThe American Film Institute Salute to ...
1973
as Self
TVBarnaby Jones
1973
as Maria Thompson
TVM*A*S*H
1972
as Lt. Suzanne Marquette
TVThe Bob Newhart Show
1972
as Miss Brennan
TVBanyon
1972
as Mabel
TVThe New Dick Van Dyke Show
1971
as Waitress
TVThe Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour
1971
as Wife/Singer
MovieSummertree
1971
as Bennie's Girlfriend (uncredited)
TVThe Odd Couple
1970
as Insurance Agent
MovieThe Moonshine War
1970
as Young Wife
TVMcCloud
1970
as Sgt. Phyllis Norton
MovieYou Haven't Changed a Bit
1970
as Corinne
MovieChanges
1969
as Waitress
MovieHead
1968
as Testy True
TVMayberry R.F.D.
1968
as Cashier
MovieMaryjane
1968
as Teri
TVIt Takes a Thief
1968
as Maggie Philbin
MovieClambake
1967
as Dancer (uncredited)
TVThe Mothers-in-Law
1967
as Usherette
The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk
1967
as Susie
MovieThe Cool Ones
1967
as Whiz Girl
MovieFor Pete's Sake
1966
as MarJean
TVStar Trek
1966
as Roberta Lincoln
TVThat Girl
1966
as Estelle
MovieWhere's the Bus?
1966
as Girl
TVBatman
1966
as Girl Outside Rink (uncredited)
MovieRed Line 7000
1965
as Nightclub Dancer (uncredited)
MovieJohn Goldfarb, Please Come Home!
1965
as Harem Girl (uncredited)
MovieThe T.A.M.I. Show
1964
as Self - Go-Go Dancer (uncredited)
MoviePajama Party
1964
as Pajama Girl
MovieRoustabout
1964
as Carnival Dancer (uncredited)
TVShindig!
1964
as Self - Dancer
MovieWhat a Way to Go!
1964
as Shipboard Number Dancer (uncredited)
MovieKissin' Cousins
1964
as Hillbilly Dancer (uncredited)
MovieViva Las Vegas
1964
as Dancer (uncredited)
MovieFun in Acapulco
1963
as Hotel Guest (uncredited)
MovieA Swingin' Affair
1963
TVThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
as Self
TVThe Merv Griffin Show
1962
as Self
TVThe Mike Douglas Show
1961
as Self
TVDr. Kildare
1961
as Naomi (uncredited)
TVThe Andy Griffith Show
1960
as Girl in Red Convertible
TVGolden Globe Awards
1944
as Self
