
Terry Ann Garr (December 11, 1944 – October 29, 2024), known as Teri Garr, was an American actress. She frequently appeared in comedic roles throughout her career, which spanned four decades and includes over 140 credits in film and television. Her accolades include an Academy Award nomination, a BAFTA Award nomination, and a National Board of Review Award. She began her career as a teenager with small roles in television and film in the early 1960s, including appearances as a dancer in nine Elvis Presley musicals.

Notable films in the 1970s include Richard Quine’s The Moonshine War (1970), with Patrick McGoohan, Richard Widmark, Alan Alda, and Will Geer; Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation (1974), with Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Allen Garfield, Cindy Williams, Frederic Forrest, Harrison Ford, and Robert Duvall; Mel Brooks’s Young Frankenstein (1974), with Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman, Cloris Leachman, Kenneth Mars, and Madeline Kahn; Michael Winner’s Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976), with Bruce Dern, Kahn, Art Carney, Phil Silvers, and Ron Liebman; Carl Reiner’s Oh, God! (1977), with George Burns, John Denver, Donald Pleasence, Ralph Bellamy, William Daniels, Barnard Hughes, Paul Sorvino, Barry Sullivan, and David Ogden Stiers; Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), with Richard Dreyfuss, Melinda Dillon, Bob Balaban, Cary Guffey, and François Truffaut; and The Black Stallion (1979), with Kelly Reno, Clarence Muse, Hoyt Axton, Michael Higgins, and Mickey Rooney.

She received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in Tootsie (1982), with Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Dabney Coleman, Charles Durning. Bill Murray, Sydney Pollack (who also directed), and Geena Davis. Other films of the early 1980s include Witches’ Brew (1980), with Richard Benjamin, Lana Turner, and Angus Scrimm; John Schlesinger’s Honkey Tonk Freeway (1981), with Beau Bridges, Beverly D’Angelo, Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, William Devane, Daniel Stern, and Geraldine Page; One from the Heart (1982), with Forrest, Raul Julia, Nastassja Kinski, Lainie Kazan, and Harry Dean Stanton; The Escape Artist (1982), with Griffin O’Neal, Juliá, Joan Hackett, Gabriel Dell, Desi Arnaz, and M. Emmett Walsh; The Sting II (1983), with Jackie Gleason, Marc Davis, Karl Malden, Oliver Reed, Ron Rifkin, and John Hancock; The Black Stallion Returns (1983), with Reno, Allen Garfield, Vincent Spano, and Woody Strode; Mr. Mom (1983), with Michael Keaton, Martin Mull, Ann Jillian, and Christopher Lloyd; and Michael Apted’s Firstborn (1984), with Peter Weller, Corey Haim, Sarah Jessica Parker, Robert Downey Jr., and Christopher Collet.

Films in the mid to late 1980s include Martin Scorsese’s After Hours (1985), with Griffin Dunne, Rosanna Arquette, Verna Bloom, Tommy Chong, Linda Fiorentino, John Heard, Cheech Marin, and Catherine O’Hara; Miracles (1986), with Lloyd, Paul Rodriguez, and Tom Conti; Full Moon in Blue Water (1988), with Hackman, Burgess Meredith, and Elias Koteas; Malcom Mowbray’s Out Cold (1989), with John Lithgow, Randy Quaid, and Bruce McGill; and Let It Ride (1989), with Dreyfuss, David Johansen, Garfield, Jennifer Tilly, Robbie Coltrane, Michelle Phillips, and Richard Edson.

Films in the early 1990s include Short Time (1990), with Coleman, Matt Frewer, Barry Corbin, and Joe Pantoliano; Waiting for the Night (1990), with Shirley MacLaine, Clancy Brown, Vincent Schiavelli, John Bedford Lloyd, Colin Baumgartner, and Hillary Wolf; a cameo as herself in Robert Altman’s The Player (1992), with Tim Robbins, Greta Scacchi, Fred Ward, Whoopi Goldberg, Peter Gallagher, Brion James, and Cynthia Stevenson; Mom and Dad Save the World (1992), with Jeffrey Jones, Jon Lovitz, Dwier Brown, Kathy Ireland, Thalmus Rasulala, Wallace Shawn, and Eric Idle; The Farrelly Brothers’s Dumb and Dumber (1994), with Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Lauren Holly, Karen Duffy, Mike Starr, and Charles Rocket; and Ready to Wear (1994), with Anouk Aimée, Marcello Mastroianni, Sophia Loren, Kim Basinger, Stephen Rea, Lauren Bacall, Julia Roberts, Robbins, Lili Taylor, Sally Kellerman, Tracey Ullman, Linda Hunt, Rupert Everett, Forest Whitaker, Richard E. Grant, Danny Aiello, Lyle Lovett, Jean Rochefort, Michel Blanc, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Ute Lemper, Anne Canovas, François Cluzet, and Tatjana Patitz.

Films in the mid to late 1990s include Perfect Alibi (1995), with Hector Elizondo, Kathleen Quinlan, Alex McArthur, Lydie Denier, and Charles Martin Smith; Nora Ephron’s Michael (1996), with John Travolta, Andie MacDowell, William Hurt, Bob Hoskins, Joey Lauren Adams, and Robert Pastorelli, and Jean Stapleton; Michael Ritchie’s A Simple Wish (1997), with Martin Short, Mara Wilson, Pastorelli, Amanda Plummer, Francis Capra, and Kathleen Turner; Casper Meets Wendy (1998), with Cathy Moriarty, Shelley Duvall, George Hamilton, Hilary Duff, Richard Moll, Vincent Schiavelli, and Blake Foster; Kill the Man (1999), with Luke Wilson and Joshua Malina; and Andrew Fleming’s Dick (1999), with Kirsten Dunst, Michelle Williams, Will Ferrell, Dave Foley, Harry Shearer, and Dan Hedaya.

Films in the 2000s include The Sky Is Falling (2000), with Dedee Pfeiffer, Howard Hesseman, and Eric Close; a voice role in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000), with Will Friedle,
Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Angie Harmon, and Melissa Joan Hart; an uncredited role in Terry Zwigoff’s Ghost World (2001), with Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, Brad Renfro, Illeana Douglas, and Steve Buscemi; Life Without Dick (2002), with Parker, Harry Connick, Jr., Johnny Knoxville, and Craig Ferguson; an uncredited role in Paul Feig’s Unaccompanied Minors (2006), with Lewis Black, Wilmer Valderrama, Tyler James Williams, Dyllan Christopher, Brett Kelly, Gia Mantegna, Quinn Shephard, Paget Brewster, Jessica Walter, and Kristen Wiig; Expired (2007), with Samantha Morton, Jason Patric, and Douglas; and and Kabluey (2007), with Lisa Kudrow,
Scott Prendergast, who also directed, Christine Taylor, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chris Parnell, and Conchata Ferrell.

TV movies and miniseries include The Winter of Our Discontent (1983), with Donald Sutherland and Tuesday Weld; Clive Donner’s To Catch a King (1984), with Wagner, Horst Janson, John Standing, Barbara Parkins and Marcel Bozzuffi; Fresno (1986), with Carol Burnett, Coleman, Charles Grodin, Gregory Harrison, and Valerie Mahaffey; Mother Goose Rock ‘n’ Rhyme (1990), with Shelley Duvall, Jean Stapleton, Dan Gilroy, Cyndi Lauper, Debbie Harry, Bobby Brown, Little Richard, Woody Harrelson, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel, and Garry Shandling; and Murder Live! (1997), with Marg Helgenberger and David Morse.
Each review will be linked to the title below.
(*seen originally in theaters)
(**seen rereleased in theaters)
- Fun in Acapulco (1963) – directed by Richard Thorpe – uncredited
- Kissin’ Cousins (1964) – directed by Gene Nelson – uncredited
- Viva Las Vegas (1964) – directed by George Sidney – uncredited
- What a Way to Go! (1964) – directed by J. Lee Thompson – uncredited
- Roustabout (1964) – directed by John Rich – uncredited
- Pajama Party (1964) – directed by Don Wies – credited as Teri Hope
- T.A.M.I. Show (1964) – directed by Steve Binder – concert film
- John Goldfarb, Please Come Home! (1965) – directed by J. Lee Thompson – uncredited
- Red Line 7000 (1965) – directed by Howard Hawks – uncredited
- Girl Happy (1965) – directed by Boris Sagal
- For Pete’s Sake (1966) – directed by James F. Collier – as Terry Garr
- Where’s the Bus? (1966) – directed by John Harris – short
- The Cool Ones (1967) – directed by Gene Nelson – uncredited
- The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk (1967) – directed by Larry Peerce – as Terry Garr
- Clambake (1967) – directed by Arthur H. Nadel – uncredited
- Mayjane (1968) – directed by Maury Dexter – as Terri Garr
- Head (1968) – directed by Bob Rafelson – as Terry Garr
- Changes (1969) – directed by Hall Bartlett
- The Moonshine War (1970) – directed by Richard Quine – as Terry Garr
- The Conversation (1974) – directed by Francis Ford Coppola
- Young Frankenstein (1974)** – directed by Mel Brooks
- Law and Order (1976) – directed by Marvin J. Chomsky – TV movie
- Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976) – directed by Michael Winner
- The Absent-Minded Waiter (1977) – directed by Carl Gottlieb – short
- Oh, God! (1977) – directed by Carl Reiner
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)** – directed by Steven Spielberg
- Once Upon a Brothers Grimm (1977) – directed by Norman Campbell – TV movie
- Java Junkie (1979) – directed by Tom Schiller – short
- Mr. Mike’s Mondo Video (1979) – directed by Michael O’Donoghue – cameo as herself
- The Black Stallion (1979) – directed by Carroll Ballard
- Dr. Franken (1980) – directed by Marvin J. Chomsky & Jeff Lieberman – TV movie
- Witches’ Brew, (1980) – directed by Richard Shorr
- Honky Tonk Freeway (1981) – directed by John Schlesinger
- One from the Heart (1982) – directed by Francis Ford Coppola
- Prime Suspect (1982) – directed by Noel Black – TV movie
- The Escape Artist (1982) – directed by Caleb Deschanel
- Tootsie (1982) – directed by Sydney Pollack
- The Sting II (1983) – directed by Jeremy Paul Kagan
- The Black Stallion Returns (1983) – directed by Robert Dalva
- Mr. Mom (1983) – directed by Stan Dragoti
- The Winter of Our Discontent (1983) – directed by Waris Hussein – TV movie
- To Catch a King (1984) – directed by Clive Donner – TV movie
- Firstborn (1984) – directed by Michael Apted
- After Hours (1985) – directed by Martin Scorsese
- Intimate Strangers (1986) – directed by Robert Ellis Miller – TV movie
- Miracles (1986) – directed by Jim Kouf
- Fresno (1986) – directed by Jeff Bleckner – miniseries
- Pack or Lies (1987) – directed by Anthony Page – TV movie
- Flapjack Floozie (1988) – directed by Tom Schiller – TV short
- Full Moon in Blue Water (1988) – directed by Peter Masterson
- Out Cold (1989) – directed by Malcolm Mowbray
- Let It Ride (1989) – directed by Joe Pytka
- Short Time (1990) – directed by Gregg Champion
- Waiting for the Light (1990) – directed by Christopher Monger
- Mother Goose Rock ‘n’ Rhyme (1990) – directed by Jeff Stein – TV movie
- A Quiet Little Neighborhood, a Perfect Little Murder (1990) – directed by Anson Williams – TV movie
- Stranger in the Family (1991) – directed by Donald Wrye – TV movie
- The Player (1992) – directed by Robert Altman – cameo as herself
- Deliver Them from Evil: The Taking of Alta View (1991) – directed by Peter Levin – TV movie
- Mom and Dad Save the World (1992)* – directed by Greg Beeman
- Fugitive Nights: Danger in the Desert (1993) – directed by Gary Nelson – TV movie
- Dumb and Dumber (1994) – directed by Peter & Bobby Farrelly
- Ready to Wear (1994) – directed by Robert Altman
- Save the Rabbits (1994) – directed by Jean-Pierre Marois – short
- Aliens for Breakfast (1995) – directed by John T. Kretchmer – TV movie
- Perfect Alibi (1995) – directed by Kevin Meyer
- Shining Time Station: One of the Family (1995) – directed by Wayne Moss & Frank Vitale – TV movie
- Double Jeopardy (1996) – directed by Deborah Dolan – TV movie
- Michael (1996)* – directed by Nora Ephron
- Murder Live (1997) – directed by Roger Spottiswoode – TV movie
- Ronnie & Julie (1997) – directed by Philip Spink – TV movie
- Changing Habits (1997) – directed by Lynn Roth
- NightScream (1997) – directed by Noel Nosseck – TV movie
- Simple Wish (1997) – directed by Michael Ritchie
- The Definite Maybe (1997) – directed by Rob Lobl & Sam Sokolow
- Casper Meets Wendy (1998) – directed by Sean McNamara
- Kill the Man (1999) – directed by Tom Booker & Jon Keen
- Half a Dozen Babies (1999) – directed by Douglas Barr – TV movie
- Dick (1999) – directed by Andrew Fleming
- The Sky Is Falling (2000) – directed by Florrie Laurence
- Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000) – directed by Curt Geda – TV movie
- A Colder Kind of Death (2001) – directed by Brad Turner – TV movie
- Ghost World (2001) – directed by Terry Zwigoff – uncredited
- Life Without Dick (2002) – directed by Bix Skahill
- Aloha, Scooby-Doo! (2005) – directed by Tim Maltby
- A Taste of Jupiter (2005) – directed by Derek Diorio
- Unaccompanied Minors (2006) – directed by Paul Feig – uncredited
- Expired (2007) – directed by Cecilia Miniucchi
- Kabluey (2007) – directed by Scott Prendergast
- God Out the Window (2007) – directed by Tina Alexis Allen – short
