Teri Garr, the Oscar-nominated star of “Tootsie,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” was known for playing lovably daffy characters like Inga in “Young Frankenstein,” but also shined in more dramatic parts.
We toast the talented comedian and dancer with this list of her best, most loved movie and TV roles.
Teri Garr and Dustin Hoffman in “Tootsie,” 1982. (Columbia Pictures/Getty Images)
Sandy Lester in “Tootsie”
Garr received her only Oscar nomination for her role as Dustin Hoffman’s supportive friend Sandy in comedy classic “Tootsie.” After Hoffman’s character has created his successful Dorothy persona, he’s caught trying on one of Sandy’s dresses, and turns the awkward situation into a seduction. Naturally, he lies that he’s going to call her when he’s really only interested in Jessica Lange’s character. She’s not the only person who is shocked by Michael’s cross-dressing betrayal in the final reveal, but we feel her pain at being used and tossed aside the most.
Teri Garr in “Young Frankenstein” (CREDIT: 20th Century Studios)
Inga in “Young Frankenstein”
Garr perfectly hit every note of sexy, silly and scared in Mel Brooks’ comedy horror classic. We first meet Inga, Victor Frankenstein (Gene Wilder)’s new lab assistant, when she invites him for a “roll in ze hay,” and then demonstrates she means that literally by happily rolling back and forth in the hay-piled cart taking them to the castle. And who else could deliver a word like “schwanzstucker” with a straight face?
Lisa Kudrow and Teri Garr in a 1998 episode of “Friends” (CREDIT: NBC/Getty Imates)
Phoebe Abbott on “Friends”
When it came time to cast the mother of Lisa Kudrow’s kooky character Phoebe Buffay, there was no question it had to be the gifted Garr, who had exactly the right blend of smarts and ditziness for the role. Although she only appeared in three episodes, she immediately became part of the show’s DNA.
Terri Garr in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (CREDIT: Columbia Pictures)
Ronnie Neary in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”
The farther Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) dives into his UFO obsession, the more concerned his wife Ronnie becomes. Her face during the famous mashed potato scene at dinner — where he begins sculpting Devil’s Tower out of his dinner — is an all-timer. When he starts throwing dirt, fencing and plants into the house to build an even bigger model, she grabs the kids and the car and leaves him. Who can blame her? In 1997, Steven Spielberg said he regretted portraying Ronnie in an unsympathetic light and re-edited the movie to call Roy’s decision to abandon his family more into question.
Teri Garr and Martin Mull in “Mr. Mom” (CREDIT: MGM)
Caroline Butler in “Mr. Mom”
This 1983 role-reversal comedy, which was written by John Hughes, finds Garr’s mother of three Caroline butler landing a well-paying gig with an advertising agency, while her out-of-work engineer husband Jack (Michael Keaton) is tasked with raising the kids, cooking and cleaning. By the film’s end, Caroline has negotiated a raise and the perk of working from home two days a week and earned a new appreciation for her family as a working mom.
Frederic Forrest and Teri Garr in a scene from the “One From The Heart” (CREDIT: Columbia Pictures/Getty Images)
Frannie in “One From the Heart”
One of Garr’s best dramatic roles was in Francis Ford Coppola’s ultra-stylized musical drama. She plays Frannie, who ends things with Hank (Frederic Forrest) after a tumultuous five years, but finds she can’t leave him after all. The 1982 movie, which bankrupted Coppola’s Zoetrope Studios, was out of print for several years, but is now available to rent online. Besides the rare opportunity to show off her dramatic chops, it also gave her a chance to return to her roots as a dancer. Watch a scene from the movie here.
Teri Garr in After Hours (CREDIT: Warner Bros.)
Julie in “After Hours”
Martin Scorsese’s 1985 black comedy is packed with oddball characters, but Garr’s embittered waitress takes the cake: Stranded-in-Soho Manhattanite Paul (Griffin Dunne) immediately hits it off with her and then flees because of her strange behavior. Furious, she puts up “wanted” posters of him, claiming he’s a thief, which leads to him being pursued by an angry mob.
Teri Garr on Star Trek (CREDIT: Paramount)
Roberta Lincoln on “Star Trek”
Garr’s role as secretary who’s mistaken for an agent from the future was a pivotal one, leading to her being “cast as birdbrained lasses,” for much of her career. Originally intended as the pilot for a “Star Trek” spinoff that didn’t happen, it still showcased Garr’s perfect comedic timing.
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