Remembering Teri Garr's Memorable Arc onFriendsas Phoebe Buffay's Mom, Following Actress' Death at 79

Mar. 15, 2025

(L-R) Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay and Teri Garr as Phoebe Abbott Sr. on ‘Friends’.Photo:Warner Bros. Television / Everett Collection

Warner Bros. Television / Everett Collection

Teri Garr’s arc onFriendswas brief, but she made a big impression nonetheless.

On Tuesday, Kudrow remembered her on-screen mom in a statement shared with 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. I feel so lucky and grateful I got to work with Teri Garr.”

Garr first appeared inFriendsin the season 3 finale titled, “The One at the Beach.” Phoebe breaks away from the friend’s trip to connect with someone who knew her parents. However, Phoebe later discovers that the woman in question, named Phoebe Abbott (Garr), isn’t just a friend of her parents, but isher biological mother.

As Buffay makes the realization, the laughs start, as Abbott shares the same quirky mannerisms as her daughter.

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

“The One with the Jellyfish” was the season 4 premiere, which picked back up with Buffay in shock after learning the true identity of her mother. The masseuse/singer then told Abbott she never wanted to see her again.

Later, Abbott tracked down her daughter at the “Smelly Cat” singer’s favorite N.Y.C. hangout spot, Central Perk where the pair officially reconciled.

In Garr’s finalFriendsepisode, “The One with Phoebe’s Uterus,” her character gave some motherly advice to daughter when Buffay was considering whether or not to be her brother Frank (Giovanni Ribisi) and sister-in-law Alice’s (Debra Jo Rupp) surrogate.

Abbott gave Buffay a puppy to take care of for three days as a way to see how she would feel upon having to give it up. The kicker? Buffay wanted to keep the puppy, which ended up being Abbott’s pet.

(L-R) Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay and Teri Garr as Phoebe Abbott Sr. on ‘Friends’.NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

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Friendsis streaming in full on Max.

source: people.com