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Teri Garr

Teri Garr

Teri Ann Garr (born December 11, 1944) is a retired American actress, dancer and singer. She frequently appeared in comedic roles throughout her career, which spans 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 is 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.

Mel Brooks: Unwrapped

2018

as Self (archive footage)

And the Oscar Goes To...

2014

as Self (archive footage)

Mel Brooks: Make a Noise

2013

as Self (archive footage)

A Better Man: The Making of 'Tootsie'

2008

as Self

Kabluey

2007

as Suze

Expired

2007

as Claire's Mother / Aunt Tilde

Legends

2006

as Inga (archive footage) (uncredited)

A Taste Of Jupiter

2005

Aloha Scooby-Doo!

2005

as Mayor Molly Quinn (voice)

The Wiki-Tiki Tail of Aloha Scooby-Doo

2005

as Herself

The Dream Studio

2004

as self

Life with Bonnie

2002

as Mrs. Abigail Portinbody

What's New, Scooby-Doo?

2002

as Sandy Gordon (voice)

Searching for Debra Winger

2002

as Self

Life Without Dick

2002

as Madame Hugonaut

Ghost World

2001

as Maxine (uncredited)

The Sky is Falling

2001

as Mona Hall

The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'

2001

as Self

The Wandering Soul Murders

2001

as Tess Malone

Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker

2000

as Mary McGinnis (voice)

Strong Medicine

2000

as Mimi Stark

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

1999

as Minerva Grahame-Bishop

Dick

1999

as Helen Lorenzo

Half a Dozen Babies

1999

as Lee Dilley

Kill the Man

1999

as Mrs. Livingston

Batman Beyond: The Movie

1999

as Mary McGinnis (voice)

Batman Beyond

1999

as Mary McGinnis (voice)

Felicity

1998

as Dr. Zwick

Casper Meets Wendy

1998

as Fanny

The Weird Al Show

1997

A Simple Wish

1997

as Rena

The Definite Maybe

1997

as Dionne Waters

Changing Habits

1997

as Connie

NightScream

1997

as Julie Ordwell

Ronnie and Julie

1997

as Elizabeth Monroe

Murder Live!

1997

as JoAnn McGrath

King of the Hill

1997

as Laney (voice)

Michael

1996

as Judge Esther Newberg

Sabrina, the Teenage Witch

1996

as Yenta

Men Behaving Badly

1996

as Carol

Double Jeopardy

1996

as Cindy Dubroski

Making Frankensense of Young Frankenstein

1996

as Inga (archive footage)

Shining Time Station: One of the Family

1995

as Sister Conductor

Perfect Alibi

1995

as Laney Tolbert

Women of the House

1995

as Sissy Emerson

Prêt-à-Porter

1994

as Louise Hamilton

Dumb and Dumber

1994

as Helen Swanson

Friends

1994

as Phoebe Sr.

ER

1994

as Celinda Randlett

Aliens for Breakfast

1994

as Mrs. Bickerstaff

Fugitive Nights: Danger in the Desert

1993

as Brita Burrows

Intimate Portrait

1993

as Self

Frasier

1993

as Nancy (voice)

Good Advice

1993

as Paige Turner

Mom and Dad Save the World

1992

as Marge Nelson

Deliver Them from Evil: The Taking of Alta View

1992

as Susan Woolley

The Player

1992

as Teri Garr

Adventures in Wonderland

1992

as Duchess

Robert Altman's Players

1992

as Self

Stranger in the Family

1991

as Randi Thompson

Good & Evil

1991

The Best of Disney: 50 Years of Magic

1991

as Self

A Quiet Little Neighborhood, a Perfect Little Murder

1990

as Marsha Pegler

Dream On

1990

as Sandra McCadden

Waiting for the Light

1990

as Kay

Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme

1990

as Jill (of Jack and Jill)

Short Time

1990

as Carolyn Simpson

Let It Ride

1989

as Pam

Tales from the Crypt

1989

as Irene Paloma

Out Cold

1989

as Sunny

Full Moon in Blue Water

1988

as Louise

Jackie Gleason: The Great One

1988

as Self

Flapjack Floozie

1988

as Helen Eagles

Paul Reiser: Out on a Whim

1987

as Self

Pack of Lies

1987

as Helen Schaefer

Fresno

1986

as Talon Kensington

Miracles

1986

as Jean

Intimate Strangers

1986

as Sally Bierston

After Hours

1985

as Julie

The History of White People in America

1985

as Self

Night of 100 Stars II

1985

as Self

Firstborn

1984

as Wendy

Steve Martin: Homage to Steve

1984

as Self

To Catch a King

1984

as Hannah Winter

The Winter of Our Discontent

1983

as Mary Hawley

Mr. Mom

1983

as Caroline

The Black Stallion Returns

1983

as Alec Ramsay's Mother

Do It Debbie's Way

1983

as Self

The Sting II

1983

as Veronica

Tootsie

1982

as Sandy

The Tale of the Frog Prince

1982

as Princess

Faerie Tale Theatre

1982

as Princess

Faerie Tale Theatre

1982

as Self

The Escape Artist

1982

as Arlene

One from the Heart

1982

as Frannie

Prime Suspect

1982

as Amy McCleary

Honky Tonk Freeway

1981

as Ericka

Inside the Coppola Personality

1981

as Self

Rendez-Vous Video Magazine

1981

as Self (segment "Coppola")

Witches' Brew

1980

as Margaret Lightman

Doctor Franken

1980

as Kelli Fisher

The Black Stallion

1979

as Alec's Mother

Mr. Mike's Mondo Video

1979

as Self

Java Junkie

1979

as Waitress

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

1977

as Ronnie Neary

Rolling Stone Magazine: The 10th Anniversary

1977

as Self

Once Upon a Brothers Grimm

1977

as Frog Princess

Oh, God!

1977

as Bobbie Landers

The Absent-Minded Waiter

1977

as Susan Cates

Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood

1976

as Fluffy Peters

Law and Order

1976

as Rita Wasinski

Young Frankenstein

1974

as Inga

The Conversation

1974

as Amy Fredericks

The Girl with Something Extra

1973

as Amber

The American Film Institute Salute to ...

1973

as Self

M*A*S*H

1972

as Lt. Suzanne Marquette

The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour

1971

as Wife/Singer

Summertree

1971

as Bennie's Girlfriend (uncredited)

The Odd Couple

1970

as Insurance Agent

The Moonshine War

1970

as Young Wife

McCloud

1970

as Sgt. Phyllis Norton

You Haven't Changed a Bit

1970

as Corinne

Changes

1969

as Waitress

Head

1968

as Testy True

Mayberry R.F.D.

1968

as Cashier

Maryjane

1968

as Teri

Clambake

1967

as Dancer (uncredited)

The Mothers-in-Law

1967

as Usherette

The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk

1967

as Susie

The Cool Ones

1967

as Whiz Girl

For Pete's Sake

1966

That Girl

1966

Star Trek

1966

as Roberta Lincoln

Where's the Bus?

1966

as Girl

Red Line 7000

1965

as Nightclub Dancer (uncredited)

John Goldfarb, Please Come Home!

1965

as Harem Girl (uncredited)

The T.A.M.I. Show

1964

as Self - Go-Go Dancer (uncredited)

Pajama Party

1964

as Pajama Girl

Roustabout

1964

as Carnival Dancer (uncredited)

Shindig!

1964

as Self - Dancer

What a Way to Go!

1964

as Shipboard Number Dancer (uncredited)

Kissin' Cousins

1964

as Hillbilly Dancer (uncredited)

Viva Las Vegas

1964

as Dancer (uncredited)

Fun in Acapulco

1963

as Hotel Guest (uncredited)

A Swingin' Affair

1963

The Andy Griffith Show

1960

as Girl In A Red Convertible