Teri Jarre, actress of ‘Young Frankenstein’ and ‘Tootsie’, dies at age 79

(CNN) – Teri Jarre, an Oscar-nominated actress, is best known for her roles in films such as “Young Frankenstein,” “Tootsie” and “Mr. Mom Died,” according to her representative.

He was 79 years old.

Jarre died Tuesday in Los Angeles, more than 20 years after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, his agent, Mark Gurvitz, told CNN.

The first time he announced his diagnosis was in A Interview conducted with CNN In 2002, in an effort to raise awareness among other people with multiple sclerosis.

“I think everyone gets scared when they hear something like that,” Jarre recalls when he found out his diagnosis. “That’s because there’s not a lot of information about it. And a lot of people don’t know that it’s not that bad. I mean, I’m moving on with my life.”

The daughter of a Broadway and Rockette performer, Jarre studied dance throughout her childhood and began auditioning shortly after graduating from high school in Los Angeles. Her audacious career in Hollywood spans several decades, and her early work includes appearances on television shows such as “Star Trek” and “That Girl.”

The 1970s were a prolific decade for Jarre, who appeared in several episodes of “The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour,” “The New Dick Van Dyke Show,” “The Odd Couple,” and “The Bob Newhart Show.” “, among many other things.

In “Tootsie,” Jarre plays a struggling actress who dates the leading man played by Dustin Hoffman, who in turn achieves fame by pretending to be a woman on a television series. The role earned Jarre a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the 1983 Academy Awards.

“I was proud,” Jarre wrote about the nomination in her 2005 memoir, “Speedbumps.” “Not only did the academy know I existed, they thought I was good!”

In the same year, she played the role of Caroline Butler in the family comedy “Mr. Mom” with Michael Keaton.

In a 2012 interviewJarre said she wasn’t surprised that two of her most memorable roles were about breaking stereotypes about gender norms.

“It bothers me that they are writing a woman who is nothing more than a woman Femme fatale “A sexy woman seduces people to achieve her goal, perpetuating the myth that this is the way women should act, instead of using their minds or intelligence.”

His career continued with more work in film and television. Throughout the 1990s, Jarre appeared in Good & Evil (1991), Good Advice (1994), and Women of the House (1995).

Jarre was known for her slightly hilarious comedic timing, which naturally made her the perfect candidate to play Phoebe Buffet’s (Lisa Kudrow) mother on Friends. Jarre appeared in three episodes in seasons three and four.

Throughout the 2000s, Jarre made guest appearances on “Felicity,” “ER” and “Live with Bonnie.” She also worked as a voice actress in the early 1980s, voicing the character Mary McGinnis in the animated series “Batman Beyond”, as well as Sandy Gordon in the animated series “What’s New, Scooby-Doo?” 2003.

Jarre was last credited in 2011 when he appeared in the television series “How to Marry a Billionaire.”