What Role Did Teri Garr Play In Friends? Find Out As Lisa Kudrow Remembers Actress
Lisa Kudrow recently honored her former Friends co-star and onscreen mother, Teri Garr, whom she referred to as a comic genius and one of the most important people in her life and work. Garr portrayed Phoebe Abbott, Kudrow’s character’s estranged birth mother, in the finale of Season 3, The One at the Beach, in 1997.
In an interview with People, after it was announced that Garr had passed away on October 29, Kudrow expressed gratitude for being able to work with a legendary figure and indicated that many people admired Garr for her distinct talent and genius. She said, “Teri Garr was a comedic acting genius who was and is a huge influence on me and I know I’m not alone in that. I feel so lucky and grateful I got to work with Teri Garr.”
The Friends episode titled, The One at the Beach, revealed to Phoebe Buffay that the person she knows as Abbott, who was supposed to be an old family friend, is in fact her real mother. This development provided further depth to Phoebe’s narrative. It also illustrated some of the amusingly absurd attributes shared by the duo.
Garr also portrayed the character in 2 episodes of Season 4 — The One with the Jellyfish, and The One with Phoebe’s Uterus — in which her character helped the main character Phoebe with her sibling relationship turmoil, trying to decide if she should be a surrogate for her brother Frank and his wife Alice. The character’s authenticity in these episodes was enhanced by Garr’s exceptional contributions.
Most notable for her parts in Young Frankenstein (1974) and Tootsie (1982), Garr passed away on October 29 after a prolonged fight with multiple sclerosis which she acknowledged publicly in the 2000s. In 2006, Garr published a memoir, sharing many of her life experiences, and spoke of the disease – which she described as something that would come and go seemingly at random, but which disordered her life throughout the years.
Teri Garr was a notable actress in both film and television, featuring in recurring roles in series such as McCloud, M*A*S*H, and The Bob Newhart Show. She also hosted Saturday Night Live on three occasions. Later in her life, Garr became involved in campaigning for awareness of multiple sclerosis and worked as an ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. In 2011, she retired from acting ending her focus on acting to take up other pursuits.
ALSO READ: Tootsie and Young Frankenstein Star Teri Garr Dies At 79
