ICONIC actress Teri Garr has tragically died aged 79 after a long-term health battle.
The beloved movie and TV star is mainly known as Phoebe’s mum in the legendary sitcom Friends and for her Oscar nominated performance in Tootsie.
Actress Teri Garr has tragically died aged 79 after a long term health battle[/caption]
Teri back in 1987 at the height of her popularity[/caption]
The veteran actress passed away on Tuesday after complications due to multiple sclerosis.
Teri had been living with the chronic disease since 2002.
She passed away in Los Angeles where she spent most of her life since breaking through in Hollywood in 1974.
The comic actress first gained global attention when she played Inga in Young Frankenstein alongside Gene Wilder.
Almost a decade later she earned herself an Oscar nomination for her work as Sandy Lester in Tootsie.
She was put up for the illustrious Best Actress in a Supporting Role at the 1983 awards.
Despite losing out to fellow Tootsie star Jessica Lange the nomination was one of Teri’s career highlights.
Teri starred in over 160 movies and TV shows throughout her stellar career with her most famous coming as Phoebe’s mum in Friends for three episodes.
Playing Phoebe Abbott between 1997 to 1998, Teri became beloved by the legendary shows cult following.
Around the same time as her first appearance in the Friends’ episode The One At The Beach, Teri also played Ronnie Neary in Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters Of The Third Kind.
Before becoming a mainstay in Hollywood the Ohio-born actress was also a comedian, singer and a dancer.
What is multiple sclerosis?
MULTIPLE sclerosis affects the spinal cord as well as the brain causing nerve damage and lifelong ailments.
MS is an autoimmune condition meaning that the body’s immune system mistakes an area of the body for a threat and attacks it.
This can slow down the nerve signals, jumble them up or stop them completely, leading to a loss of control over certain functions in the body.
Multiple sclerosis can affect everyone and anyone regardless of race or gender, however, it is two to three times more common in women than in men.
It is usually diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 30.
Common symptoms
- Fatigue
- Vision problems
- Numbness and tingling
- Muscle spasms, stiffness and weakness
- Mobility problems
- Pain
- Problems with thinking, learning and planning
- Depression and anxiety
- Sexual problems
- Bladder problems
- Bowel problems
- Speech and swallowing difficulties
There is currently no cure for MS, but the symptoms can be treated with medications and other treatments.
MS is rarely a fatal condition, however, the symptoms and side effects of severe MS can cause further medical issues.
Swallowing difficulties and chest or bladder infections can affect the quality of life for those with severe MS.
Those diagnosed with the condition generally live five to ten years less than the national average, however, the NHS claims that this gap appears to be getting smaller all the time.
