Teri Garr’s cause of death explained: ‘Subtle’ symptoms that led to her diagnosis
Teri Garr, the actor who died Tuesday at 79, was known for her comedic roles, but the star had been dealing with serious health problems for decades.
Garr’s cause of death was complications from multiple sclerosis, her publicist and friend Heidi Schaeffer told NBC News.
She’d also suffered a brain aneurysm in 2006 that left her in a coma for a week.
Here’s what the actor — who delivered memorable performances in “Young Frankenstein,” “Tootsie” and “Mr. Mom” — said about her health:
Multiple sclerosis
This nervous system disease affects the brain and spinal cord, leading to damage that affects how the brain communicates with the body, according to the National Library of Medicine.
Women are more likely to get the autoimmune disorder, with warning signs that usually begin between the ages of 20 and 40, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke explains.
Garr said she had vague symptoms that started around the time she was filming “Tootsie” in the early 1980s — almost two decades before she was diagnosed.
“I would run, jog in the park, and I just started tripping. It was just like my toe — I would start to trip, and then that would go away. Then I would get some tingling in my arm,” she told CNN’s Larry King in 2002 when she first went public with her condition.
“It’s very hard to get a diagnosis and it’s very hard to find out — difficult to find out if you have this, because the things come and go and the things are subtle.”
She started to walk with a limp and was told she might have an orthopedic problem or a pinched nerve. Garr went to 11 doctors before she was finally diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1999, she told Closer Weekly.
The exact cause is a mystery, but genetic susceptibility, infectious disease and environmental factors may trigger the disease, according to The National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Teri Garr death: ‘Young Frankenstein’ and ‘Tootsie’ star dies at 79
Teri Garr, the comedy actress who starred in “Tootsie” and “Young Frankenstein,” has died at 79.
Her publicist Heidi Schaeffer told USA TODAY that Garr died Tuesday morning “after a long battle with MS” and did so “peacefully surrounded by family and friends.” In 2002, Garr shared publicly on CNN’s “Larry King Live” that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, which is commonly known as MS.
Garr, the daughter of actor Eddie Garr and costume designer Phyllis Garr, started her career with small gigs in Elvis Presley movies before her scene-stealing performances in films such as “Young Frankenstein” and “Tootsie.” She received an Oscar best supporting actress nomination for the latter role.
Her numerous Hollywood admirers paid tribute on social media as news of her death spread.
“This is a day I feared and knew was coming,” her “Mr. Mom” co-star Michael Keaton posted on Instagram. “Forget about how great she was as an actress and comedienne. She was a wonderful woman. Not just great to work with but great to be around.” He urged fans to go back and watch her comedic work: “Man, was she great!!”
“Teri was a legend. So funny, so beautiful, so kind,” wrote Paul Feig, who directed her in “Unaccompanied Minors,” wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “I had the honor of working with her in 2006 and she was everything I dreamed she would be. Truly one of my comedy heroes. I couldn’t have loved her more.”
Garr was a favorite of talk-show hosts such as Johnny Carson and David Letterman, where her incandescent aura and quick wit often made for memorable appearances. In her many roles, Garr had a way of seeming simultaneously ditzy and savvy, clueless and clever.
The actress launched her career as a dancer, appearing on popular TV shows such as “Shindig!” and “Hullabaloo,” which capitalized on the ’60s rock craze. That soon translated into a range of often-brief television appearances on programs ranging from “The Andy Griffith Show” to “Star Trek,” before landing a regular role as an actress and dancer on the exceedingly popular “Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour.”