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.
Career Statisics
| Season | Age | Movie | Role | Result | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 39 | Tootsie (1982) | Supporting Actress | Nom | 0 | |
| Career | 0 |
Transaction History
| Date | Location | Team | Receives | Team | Receives | Team | Receives |
|---|
Credits
| Year | Title | Character | |
|---|---|---|---|
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2007-06-25 | Kabluey | Suze |
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2007-01-19 | Expired | Claire's Mother / Aunt Tilde |
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2006-12-08 | Unaccompanied Minors | Aunt Judy / Valerie’s Sister |
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2005-09-15 | A Taste Of Jupiter | |
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2005-02-08 | Aloha Scooby-Doo! | Mayor Molly Quinn (voice) |
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2004-01-01 | The Dream Studio | self |
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2002-03-05 | Life Without Dick | Madame Hugonaut |
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2001-07-20 | Ghost World | Maxine (uncredited) |
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2001-06-07 | The Sky is Falling | Mona Hall |
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2001-01-09 | The Wandering Soul Murders | Tess Malone |
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2000-12-12 | Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker | Mary McGinnis (voice) |
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1999-08-04 | Dick | Helen Lorenzo |
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1999-05-17 | Half a Dozen Babies | Lee Dilley |
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1999-01-24 | Kill the Man | Mrs. Livingston |
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1999-01-10 | Batman Beyond: The Movie | Mary McGinnis (voice) |
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1998-09-10 | Casper Meets Wendy | Fanny |
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1997-07-11 | A Simple Wish | Rena |
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1997-07-04 | The Definite Maybe | Dionne Waters |
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1997-05-20 | Changing Habits | Connie |
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1997-04-14 | NightScream | Julie Ordwell |
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1997-03-29 | Ronnie and Julie | Elizabeth Monroe |
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1997-03-09 | Murder Live! | JoAnn McGrath |
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1996-12-25 | Michael | Judge Esther Newberg |
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1996-01-30 | Double Jeopardy | Cindy Dubroski |
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1995-09-23 | Shining Time Station: One of the Family | Sister Conductor |
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1995-09-04 | Perfect Alibi | Laney Tolbert |
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1994-12-23 | Prêt-à-Porter | Louise Hamilton |
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1994-12-16 | Dumb and Dumber | Helen Swanson |
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1994-04-02 | Aliens for Breakfast | Mrs. Bickerstaff |
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1993-11-19 | Fugitive Nights: Danger in the Desert | Brita Burrows |
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1992-07-24 | Mom and Dad Save the World | Marge Nelson |
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1992-04-28 | Deliver Them from Evil: The Taking of Alta View | Susan Woolley |
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1992-04-03 | The Player | Teri Garr |
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1991-10-27 | Stranger in the Family | Randi Thompson |
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1990-10-04 | A Quiet Little Neighborhood, a Perfect Little Murder | Marsha Pegler |
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1990-06-14 | Waiting for the Light | Kay |
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1990-05-19 | Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme | Jill (of Jack and Jill) |
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1990-05-04 | Short Time | Carolyn Simpson |
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1989-08-18 | Let It Ride | Pam |
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1989-03-03 | Out Cold | Sunny |
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1988-11-23 | Full Moon in Blue Water | Louise |
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1988-06-17 | Flapjack Floozie | Helen Eagles |
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1987-04-26 | Pack of Lies | Helen Schaefer |
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1986-07-11 | Miracles | Jean |
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1986-01-01 | Intimate Strangers | Sally Bierston |
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1985-08-16 | After Hours | Julie |
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1984-10-26 | Firstborn | Wendy |
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1984-01-20 | To Catch a King | Hannah Winter |
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1983-12-06 | The Winter of Our Discontent | Mary Hawley |
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1983-07-22 | Mr. Mom | Caroline |
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1983-03-25 | The Black Stallion Returns | Alec Ramsay's Mother |
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1983-02-18 | The Sting II | Veronica |
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1982-12-17 | Tootsie | Sandy Lester |
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1982-09-11 | The Tale of the Frog Prince | Princess |
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1982-05-28 | The Escape Artist | Arlene |
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1982-02-11 | One from the Heart | Frannie |
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1982-01-20 | Prime Suspect | Amy McCleary |
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1981-08-21 | Honky Tonk Freeway | Ericka |
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1980-10-31 | Witches' Brew | Margaret Lightman |
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1980-01-13 | Doctor Franken | Kelli Fisher |
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1979-10-13 | The Black Stallion | Alec's Mother |
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1979-03-07 | Java Junkie | Waitress |
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1977-12-14 | Close Encounters of the Third Kind | Ronnie Neary |
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1977-11-23 | Once Upon a Brothers Grimm | Frog Princess |
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1977-10-07 | Oh, God! | Bobbie Landers |
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1977-07-13 | The Absent-Minded Waiter | Susan Cates |
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1976-07-26 | Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood | Fluffy Peters |
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1976-05-06 | Law and Order | Rita Wasinski |
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1974-12-15 | Young Frankenstein | Inga |
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1974-04-07 | The Conversation | Amy Fredericks |
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1971-06-06 | Summertree | Bennie's Girlfriend (uncredited) |
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1970-06-30 | The Moonshine War | Young Wife |
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1970-01-04 | You Haven't Changed a Bit | Corinne |
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1969-02-11 | Changes | Waitress |
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1968-11-06 | Head | Testy True |
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1968-02-01 | Maryjane | Teri |
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1967-12-04 | Clambake | Dancer (uncredited) |
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1967-09-08 | The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk | Susie |
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1967-04-12 | The Cool Ones | Whiz Girl |
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1966-10-14 | For Pete's Sake | |
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1966-02-26 | Where's the Bus? | Girl |
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1965-11-09 | Red Line 7000 | Nightclub Dancer (uncredited) |
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1965-03-24 | John Goldfarb, Please Come Home! | Harem Girl (uncredited) |
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1964-11-11 | Pajama Party | Pajama Girl |
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1964-11-11 | Roustabout | Carnival Dancer (uncredited) |
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1964-07-31 | What a Way to Go! | Shipboard Number Dancer (uncredited) |
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1964-03-06 | Kissin' Cousins | Hillbilly Dancer (uncredited) |
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1964-02-08 | Viva Las Vegas | Dancer (uncredited) |
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1963-11-27 | Fun in Acapulco | Hotel Guest (uncredited) |
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1963-05-23 | A Swingin' Affair |