Lisa Kudrow Leads Tributes for Teri Garr, Her Friends Co-Star

Actress Lisa Kudrow has initiated the tributes for Oscar-nominated actress Teri Garr, who portrayed Kudrow’s estranged birth mother on the series Friends. Garr, recognized for her roles in films such as Young Frankenstein, Tootsie, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, passed away in Los Angeles on Tuesday at the age of 79. In a released statement, Kudrow described Garr as “a comedic acting genius who was and is a huge influence on me and I know I’m not alone in that”. Kudrow further expressed feeling “so lucky and grateful” for the opportunity to have collaborated with her. Mel Brooks, who directed and wrote Young Frankenstein, also honored the actress, stating she was “so talented and so funny”. Brooks remarked, “Her humour and lively spirit made the Young Frankenstein set a pleasure to work on. Her ‘German’ accent had us all in stitches!” The 1974 horror comedy, where Garr delivered lines with a German accent as Gene Wilder’s lab assistant, marked a significant career advancement for her. Among her other cinematic appearances was the 1983 comedy Mr Mom, co-starring Michael Keaton, who commended her performance and referred to her as a “wonderful woman, not just great to work with but great to be around”. Garr received a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis two decades prior and first publicly discussed the chronic autoimmune disease in 2002, aiming to increase awareness for others affected by it. The actress encountered additional health issues, undergoing surgery to repair an aneurysm in 2007, as reported by CBS, the BBC’s US news partner. Garr commenced her career as a background dancer in Elvis Presley films. Her mother, also a former dancer, enrolled her in dance classes when she was six years old. Her initial professional engagement was joining the road company for West Side Story in Los Angeles. Subsequently, she transitioned to dancing in movies before securing roles in television programs like Batman and Dr Kildare. Garr’s major career breakthrough occurred in 1974 with a supporting role in the thriller The Conversation. Garr subsequently established her reputation as a comedy actress, earning an Oscar nomination for her work in 1982’s Tootsie and making frequent appearances on Late Night with David Letterman. She also took on dramatic roles in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and The Black Stallion, and featured in television series such as Star Trek and That Girl. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.