R.I.P. Terri Gar: ‘Tootsie’ And ‘Mr. Mom’ Actress Dead At 79

Terri Gar, nan drama prima champion known for her bold performances successful films for illustration Tootsie and Young Frankenstein, has died. She was 79.

Gar’s publicist confirmed nan character passed distant Tuesday (Oct. 29) successful her Los Angeles location from complications of aggregate sclerosis, which she had been battling since 1999, per Variety.

The girl of Broadway character Eddie Gar and dancer Phillis Gar, Terri began her profession arsenic a dancer pinch respective roles successful movie and tv successful nan ’60s connected The Andy Griffith Show, Pajama Party, and more.

But her breakout domiciled came successful nan 1974 characteristic Young Frankenstein, wherever she delivered an iconic capacity other Gene Wilder arsenic Inga, a young adjunct who hilariously propositioned his Dr. Frederick Frankenstein for activity by asking, “Vould you for illustration to person a rotation successful ze hay?”

That aforesaid year, Gar was formed successful Francis Ford Coppola‘s The Conversation. Thus began a agelong and fruitful profession successful drama pinch performances successful Maude, The Sonny & Cher Show, Faerie Tale Theatre, Saturday Night Live, and respective precocious nighttime appearances. In 1997, she had a little recurring domiciled connected Friends arsenic Lisa Kudrow’s mother.

Her astir memorable performances were often arsenic nan woman aliases partner to outlandish men, arsenic seen successful her Oscar-nominated capacity other Dustin Hoffman successful Tootsie, aliases arsenic Michael Keaton‘s workaholic woman successful Mr. Mom, aliases successful Close Encounters of nan Third Kind.

Photo: Stanley Bielecki Movie Collection /Bobby Bank/WireImage

She railed against nan type formed successful a 2008 question and reply pinch The A.V. Club wherever she decried nan “long suffering” woman trope.

“They only constitute those parts for women. If there’s ever a female who’s smart, funny, aliases witty, group are acrophobic of that, truthful they don’t constitute that,” she candidly expressed. “They only constitute parts for women wherever they fto everything beryllium steamrolled complete them, wherever they fto group swipe their feet each complete them. Those are nan benignant of parts I play, and nan benignant of parts that location are for maine successful this world. In this life.”

Gar announced she had aggregate sclerosis successful 2002 aft receiving her test successful 1999. She became an avid advocator for MS and raised consciousness for nan disease, which she opened up astir successful her 2005 autobiography Speedbumps: Flooring It Through Hollywood.

She later suffered a encephalon aneurism successful 2006 that impacted her reside and centrifugal skills, affecting her expertise to work. That year, she starred successful Unaccompanied Minors and Expired, which were among nan past fewer roles she took until she stopped acting successful 2011.

She is survived by her daughter, Molly O’Neil, and her grandson.