Lisa Kudrow Remembers LateFriendsMom Teri Garr as a 'Comedic Acting Genius' Who Had a 'Huge Influence on Me' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Shortly after the news of Garr’s death broke on Oct. 29, theFriendsalum, 61, remembered the actress in a heartfelt statement to PEOPLE.

“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,” she said. “I feel so lucky and grateful I got to work with Teri Garr.”

Lisa Kudrow and Teri Garr on ‘Friends’.Getty

Getty

Garr made her debut onFriendsas Phoebe Abbott, the estranged birth mother to Kudrow’s Phoebe Buffay and Ursula Buffay, in season 3 episode 25. She appeared in three episodes of the hit NBC sitcom.

Garr first appeared in the season 3 finale in 1997, titled “The One at the Beach,” which saw Phoebe break away from the friend group’s trip to connect with a woman who knew her parents. Phoebe later discovered that the woman, Phoebe Abbott (Garr), wasn’t just a friend of her parents, but washer biological mother. Upon the realization, the two also noticed they share the same quirky mannerisms.

Garr’s final two episodes came in season 4, with “The One with the Jellyfish” and “The One with Phoebe’s Uterus,” both airing in 1998.

“The One with the Jellyfish” (the season 4 premiere) picked back up with Phoebe in shock after learning the identity of her mother and telling her she never wanted to see her again. It was short-lived, however, as Abbott tracked down Phoebe at Central Perk and the two officially reconciled.

In “The One with Phoebe’s Uterus,” Abbott helped Phoebe when she was considering whether or not to be her brother Frank (Giovanni Ribisi) and sister-in-law Alice’s (Debra Jo Rupp) surrogate. In order to do this, Abbott gave Phoebe a puppy to take care for three days as a way to see how she would feel upon having to give it up. But things took a turn when Phoebe ended up wanting to keep the puppy, which was revealed to be Abbott’s pet.

Lisa Kudrow (left) and Teri Garr in ‘Friends’.NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Garr, most famous for her comedic work in movies like 1974’sYoung Frankensteinand 1982’sTootsie, died on Tuesday, Oct. 29, from multiple sclerosis.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories

The late actress first revealed in 2002 that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the late 90s. She first began noticing symptoms while filmingOne From the HeartandTootsie.

Teri Garr.Albert L. Ortega/Getty

Albert L. Ortega/Getty

Garr became a national ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and national chair for the Society’s Women Against MS program. She limited the number of projects she appeared in and retired from acting in 2011.

“Slowing down is so not in my nature, but I have to,” she toldBrain & Life Magazinein 2005. “Stress and anxiety and all those high-tension things are not good for MS.”

source: people.com