When an actor or actress that we fondly remember from our youth dies, it’s sad.
I first saw Teri Garr on “Star Trek,” the original and still the best version. She played “Roberta Lincoln” in the second-season 1968 episode “Assignment: Earth,” and the seven-year-old me immediately found this young actress with the miniskirt and the girl-next-door vibe quite fetching
She went on to appear in such films as “Oh, God,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Tootsie” as well as in Mel Brook’s masterwork “Young Frankenstein.”
I was saddened when I read Tuesday morning that Teri Garcia had died at the age of 79 after a long battle with multiple sclerosis.
Garr, who was an influential performer for comedians such as Tina Fey in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, appeared in dozens of TV shows and movies of those years. In 2002, the actress revealed that she was diagnosed with MS. She also suffered from an aneurysm.
Garr began her career as an actress, but gained fame as Inga in Mel Brooks’s 1974 film “Young Frankenstein.” She was the saucy assistant who welcomed Gene Wilder as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, with the famous “Would You Like to Have a Roll in the Hay?”
She played Phoebe Abbot on “Friends” in three episodes between 1997 and 1998.
Teri Garr was not as dramatic and flashy as the A-list celebrities of today. She kept her private life private and did not speak out often on current issues. However, she was a pioneer in advocating that women actors be paid the same as men for similar roles. Teri was a good actress who, for the most part, showed up to work and gave a fantastic performance.
She was a beautiful woman, but she did not rely on it for her roles. However, she did play on some of her assets to create comic effects. Mel Brooks recognized Miss Garr’s talent for comedy and made good use of it. Casting Garr alongside Gene Wilder and Marty Feldman was a brilliant filmmaking move.
Teri played the patient spouse of the main characters who were afflicted by strange events. For example, she played opposite Richard Dreyfuss’ character in the 1977 movie ”
Close Encounters of the Third Kind or John Denver’s lighthearted 1977 film “Oh God.” Teri Garr was a big reason I went to both films.
Teri Garr left behind a legacy that includes:
In 2006, she published her autobiography “Speedbumps – Flooring it Through Hollywood.”
Her daughter Molly O’Neil and grandson Tyryn survive her.
Farewell, Teri. I will always remember you the way you were when I saw you for the first time – young and beautiful with a lopsided grin, a charm that was down to earth, and an amazing talent. We will miss you, but in the modern world, we can always look back at you as you used to be.