Who did Teri Garr play in Young Frankenstein? Iconic role explored as Oscar nominated star dies aged 79
Teri Garr, who portrayed Inga in the comedy-horror film Young Frankenstein, recently passed away on Tuesday, October 29, at 79. Garr's manager, Marc Gurvitz, revealed to CNN that she died from the complications of multiple sclerosis after being diagnosed with the disease in 2001.
Although she made her acting debut with the 1963 film Fun in Acapulco, she slowly expanded her work to television, leading to her casting in several shows.
Social media platforms flooded with tributes from Teri Garr's fans, who recalled her performances on screen. Notably, Teri's parents were also involved in show business, and her family members include two brothers - one is a surgeon, and the other builds boats, as per People magazine.
Despite starting her career as a dancer on stage, Teri Garr was interested in acting. She joined the Actors Studio and the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute to improve her skills. Teri was also nominated for an Academy Award in 1983.
She was later diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, leading to her exit from the entertainment industry. Garr even addressed her health problem during a conversation with CNN a year after she contracted the disease.
Garr said in the interview that people get scared when they hear about everything she has been through after her diagnosis. She added that this happens because people have little knowledge about the disease.
Teri Garr's appearance in Young Frankenstein made her a popular face: Character and other details explained
As mentioned, the Los Angeles, California native accumulated a huge fanbase with her appearances on various projects. One was Young Frankenstein, where she played an important character, Inga.
Teri Garr was seen as one of the main characters in the 1974 film. Although Inga's name hinted that she was originally German, she resided in Transylvania for a long time. She initially joined Doctor Frederick Frankenstein as a personal assistant and helped him create an artificial humanoid male.
The film underwent a few changes from the novel, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, based on which it was made. The novel, written by Mary Shelley, does not have a counterpart for Teri's character, Inga, in the book.
The film was helmed by Mel Brooks. It became successful at the box office and received positive reviews. Gene Wilder played the lead, and other cast members were Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman, Cloris Leachman, Kenneth Mars, and many others.
Teri Garr's career explained in brief
The Tootsie star made uncredited appearances in a few films in the beginning. She landed a role as Testy True in the musical adventure film Head. Although Young Frankenstein contributed to making her a well-known figure, she was a part of films like The Black Stallion, Honky Tonk Freeway, Full Moon in Blue Water, The Player, and more.
She even featured in shows such as Saturday Night Live! and played Olivia for a year in The Sonny and Cher Show. Teri Garr also voiced a character called Selena in two episodes of the animated show The Legend of Prince Valiant. She did the same in another series, Batman Beyond.
Teri Garr had a daughter named Molly from her only marriage to John O'Neil. Apart from Molly, Teri is survived by a grandson named Tyryn.