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Lisa Kudrow Remembers Late ‘Friends’ Mom Teri Garr as ‘A Comedic Acting Genius’
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Lisa Kudrow Remembers Late ‘Friends’ Mom Teri Garr as ‘A Comedic Acting Genius’

Lisa Kudrow is remembering her late TV mother, Teri Garr.

The ‘Friends’ actress, 61, paid tribute to Garr shortly after the Oscar-nominated comedy legend passed away on Tuesday.

“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,” Kudrow told People in a statement. “I feel so lucky and grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Teri Garr.”

Garr first appeared in “Friends” in 1997, playing Phoebe Abbott, the estranged biological mother of Kudrow’s character, Phoebe Buffay, and Phoebe’s twin sister, Ursula Buffay (also played by Kudrow).

Lisa Kudrow remembers her late TV mother Teri Garr as “a comedic acting genius.” ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection
Garr guest-starred in three episodes of “Friends” from 1997 to 1998. ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection

In the season 3 finale episode, “The One at the Beach,” Phoebe took a break from the friend group’s sandy retreat to track down a woman she thought knew her birth parents. It turned out that the woman (Garr) was actually Phoebe’s biological mother.

Garr played Abbott in two more episodes of ‘Friends’: ‘The One with the Jellyfish’ and ‘The One with Phoebe’s Uterus’, both airing in 1998 during the series’ fourth season.

Garr’s death was confirmed by her publicist, Heidi Schaeffer, who told The Post that the star died Tuesday morning in Los Angeles after a long battle with multiple sclerosis. Garr was reportedly surrounded by family and friends. She was 79.

Teri Garr made her “Friends” debut in the Season 3 finale, “The One at the Beach.” NBCUniversal via Getty Images
Garr played Phoebe Abbott, the estranged biological mother of Kudrow’s character, Phoebe Buffay. NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Kudrow joined many others in paying tribute to the late actress, including her “Tootsie” co-star Dustin Hoffman. In an exclusive statement to The Post, Hoffman, 87, said: “Teri was brilliant and unique in everything she did, and had a heart of gold.”

He added: “Working with her was one of the biggest highlights. There was no one like her.”

Known for her comedic abilities, Garr earned an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of neurotic, chronically unemployed actress Sandy Lester in the 1982 Sydney Pollack film.

Lisa Kudrow said Garr “had a huge influence on me.” Penske Media via Getty Images

The late star began her acting career on TV, with roles on shows like “Star Trek,” “The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour” and “The New Dick Van Dyke Show.” Her big break came in 1974, when she won a role in Mel Brooks’ horror parody, ‘Young Frankenstein’.

Garr followed that performance with roles in two films, Francis Ford Coppola’s thriller “The Conversation” and Steven Spielberg’s science fiction film “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” before starring in “Tootsie.” She continued to work in films and TV until 2011.

Teri Garr had a breakout role in Mel Brooks’ 1974 horror parody, “Young Frankenstein.” 20th Century Fox Licensing/Merchandising/Everett Collection
Garr died after a long battle with multiple sclerosis, her publicist revealed. She was 79. Wire image

In 2002, the actress revealed that she had been diagnosed with MS. “I really didn’t think there was any reason to come out and say anything about it,” Garr said at the time during an interview with CNN’s Larry King. “I think the good news is that there are a lot of good drugs out there.”

She suffered a brain aneurysm in 2006, although she recovered and was able to return to acting before her retirement in 2011.

Garr is survived by her daughter, Molly O’Neil, 30, and grandson, Tyryn, 6.