Teri Garr, an actress known for her youthful voice, expressive eyes and perfect comic timing, has died at the age of 79 at her home in Los Angeles. A spokeswoman announced the news. In 1983, Garr received an Oscar nomination for her performance in Tootsie, a 1982 film in which she starred opposite Dustin Hoffman. Since 1999, the actress had been battling multiple sclerosis, a disease diagnosed after a long period of unidentified symptoms.

A constant in Garr’s roles was the portrayal of complicated relationships with men with unpredictable behavior. In Close Encounters of the Third Kind, her character initially refuses to believe the strange behavior of her husband (played by Richard Dreyfuss), who becomes obsessed with UFOs. Eventually, however, she decides to leave him and take their children away after he fills the living room with garbage to protect himself from aliens.

One of Garr’s most significant roles in her career was in 1974’s Young Frankenstein, where she played a sweet, goofy lab assistant opposite Gene Wilder’s mad scientist. In 1985’s After Hours, she played a waitress who flirts with a man (Griffin Dunne) who is having an existential crisis.

In addition to her work in film, Teri Garr has also appeared in a number of successful television series. Her most notable appearances include a three-episode appearance on the hit sitcom Friends in the 1990s, where she played the biological mother of Lisa Kudrow’s character Phoebe Buffay, whose fate had long been shrouded in mystery.

Teri Garr’s career spans several decades and includes numerous films and shows that have left a significant mark on the entertainment landscape. Her versatility and talent have made her a household name on both the big screen and television. Her passing marks the end of an era for many fans and colleagues who have admired her over the years.