'Young Frankenstein' and 'Tootsie' star Teri Garr dies at 79 | CNN

Teri Garr, an Oscar-nominated actress who starred in “Young Frankenstein,” “Tootsie” and “Mr. Ma,” has died, according to her manager.

He was 79.

Garr died Tuesday in Los Angeles, more than twenty years after he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, his manager Mark Gurvitz told CNN.

She publicly shared her diagnosis in a 2002 interview with CNN in an effort to raise awareness for others living with MS.

“I think everybody's scared and scared when they hear something like that,” Garr recalled of first learning his diagnosis, after seeing 11 doctors and years of experiencing symptoms they couldn't explain. could not “It's because there's a lot of – you know, not a lot of information about it. And many people don't know that it's not bad. I mean, I'm going on with my life.”

A Broadway performer and the daughter of the Rockettes, Garr grew up studying dance and began auditioning soon after graduating from high school in Los Angeles. Her early credits included dancing and appearing as an extra in films like Elvis Presley's “Viva Las Vegas.”

“I finally asked myself, why am I not ahead?” Garr later reflected. “I didn't study all those years to stay behind and get no money.”

The 1970s proved to be a great time for Garr, who appeared in several episodes of the sketch comedy series “The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour,” “The New Dick Van Dyke Show,” “The Odd Couple” and “The Bob Newhart Show.” was ,” among many others.

Her big break came in 1974, when she played Inga in the Mel Brooks-directed comedy hit “Young Frankenstein” alongside Gene Wilder, Madeleine Kahn and Marty Feldman.

Two years later, Garr appeared in her most notable role as Ronnie Neary, a wife who tries to understand her husband's (Richard Dreyfuss) inexplicable obsession with an alien encounter, in Steven Spielberg's 1977 sci-fi epic Close of the Third Kind. Encounters.”

In “Tootsie,” Garr played a struggling actress dating Dustin Hoffman's protagonist who rose to fame pretending to be a woman on a soap opera. The role earned Garr a 1983 Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

“I was proud,” Garr wrote of the nomination in his 2005 memoir, “Speedbumps: Flooring It Through Hollywood.” “The Academy not only didn't know I existed, they thought I was cool!”

Also in 1983, he starred in the rousing family comedy “Mr. Mom” ​​with Michael Keaton.

In a 2012 interview, Garr said she wasn't surprised that two of her most memorable roles involved breaking stereotypes about gender norms.

“I hate it when they write the part of a woman who's just a sexy femme fatale who lures people into making her way, perpetuating the myth that women have to act instead of using their brains or their wits,” Garr reflects.

His career continued with more film and television work. Throughout the '90s, Garr appeared in 1991's “Good and Evil,” 1994's “Good Advice,” and 1995's “Woman of the House.”

Garr was known for her slightly contrived and zany comic timing, which naturally made her the perfect candidate to play the mother to Lisa Kudrow's Phoebe Buffett. Garr appeared in a total of three episodes in the third and fourth seasons.

Throughout the 2000s, Garr made guest appearances on “Felicity,” “ER” and “Live With Bonnie.” She also began her early voice acting career, voicing Mary McGinnis in the animated “Batman Beyond” TV series as well as Sandy Gordon in 2003's “What's New, Scooby Doo?”. Animated series.

Garr's final breakthrough came in 2011 when he appeared in the TV series “How to Marry a Billionaire”.

Through it all, Garr has been a vocal advocate for people living with MS.

“I think some people want you to be upset. I'm not just upset, I'm fine. I don't see the point in being down, I don't see that it gets you anywhere,” Garr reflected in an interview on the sense of optimism he still maintains. “Maybe it has to do with my show business background. You are always being told that you are not right for something, not tall enough, not pretty enough, whatever. I would say, 'But I'm smart, I'm talented, I'm this, I'm that!!' I've always been able to do that, and I do it now with MS.”

“I've always been a timid person,” he added.

This story has been updated with additional information.