Getty Michael Keaton attends the UK Premiere of "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" at the Cineworld Leicester Square on August 29, 2024 in London, England.
In the wake of former co-star Teri Garr’s passing, Micheal Keaton took to his Instagram to post a tribute.
On Tuesday, Oct. 29, Keaton shared a photo of the “Mr. Mom” movie poster. Keaton starred in the 1983 family comedy alongside Teri Garr. “Mr.Mom” was written by John Hughes. Hughes is known for 1980s classic movies like “The Breakfast Club,” “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”
Keaton wrote a heartfelt caption in honor of the late Garr: “This is a day I feared and knew was coming. 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. AND go back and watch her comedic work. Man, was she great!! RIP girl.”
Garr had been battling multiple sclerosis for more than twenty years. She was 79 when she passed.
Teri Garr: An Oscar-Nominated Actress
Teri Garr was known for her acting roles in the 1970s and the 1980s. Her work as an actress can be seen in “Tootsie,” “Young Frankenstein,” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”
Inga in “Young Frankenstein” is considered Garr’s breakout role. In a PBS interview, Garr revealed that her mother, Phyllis, helped her land an audition for the Mel Brooks movie. Phyllis was working in the wardrobe department of the movie. Teri asked if they were done casting and that’s what got the ball rolling. After four auditions, she was given the part.
For her role as Sandy Lester in “Tootsie,” Garr received a 1983 Academy Award nomination and a 1984 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) nomination. Her “Tootsie” co-star Jessica Lange took home the 1983 Oscar in their shared category. She lost the BAFTA award to Jamie Lee Cutis for her role in “Trading Places.”
Millennials may recognize Garr from the late 1990s and early 2000s sitcom, “Friends.” Garr played Phoebe Abbott, the birth mother of Phoebe Buffy.
Hallmark Hall of Fame fans may recognize Garr from her role as Mary Hawley in “The Winter of Our Discontent.” Garr stared along the late Donald Sutherland, who passed away in June of this year.
Teri Garr Shares Her MS Battle
In 2002, Garr joined Larry King on his CNN show “Larry King Live” and revealed her battle with MS. It had been 14 years since she last appeared on the show.
In the interview, King asks Garr “Do you consider yourself disabled?” Garr replies “Oh, no, I don’t. I don’t. But I think other people do. You know, people ask me about my limp, I say, you know, I don’t know how bad it is, because I don’t watch. I don’t watch myself. I don’t look at it. I don’t.”
Garr’s candidness about her MS continued throughout her life. In 2006, she penned an autobiography “Speedbumps: Flooring It Through Hollywood.” The book was co-written with Henriette Mantel. Of the book, Mel Brooks remarked “Garr sticks to the truth whether it’s hysterically funny, or, at times, heart wrenching. Read this book, it’s a lesson in courage.”
Amy Sand is an entertainment contributor covering reality TV and celebrity news for Heavy.com. She is a graduate of the creative writing program at Stephens College and her work has appeared in PS, Edible Omaha, and AltOhio. Along with Heavy, Amy writes for Milford Magazine in Omaha, Nebraska. She is currently pursuing a Master's degree in journalism through the University of Nebraska—Lincoln. More about Amy Sand