Dustin Hoffman pays tribute to 'Tootsie' co-star Teri Garr, recalls 'great highs' of their collaboration

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Dustin Hoffman paid an emotional tribute to his former 'Tootsie' co-star Teri Garr after her death on Tuesday, October 30 at the age of 79.

Oscar winner, Hoffman, 87, recalled his experience with Garr in the 1982 film, where he portrayed Michael Dorsey/Dorothy Michaels alongside Garr’s character Sandy Lester, who earned Garr an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Dustin Hoffman reflects on 'great highs' of working with Teri Garr

In a statement to the New York Post, Dustin Hoffman praised Teri Garr's talent and kindness, recalling his time working alongside her in 'Tootsie'.

"Teri was brilliant and singular in all she did, and had a heart of gold. Working with her was one of the great highs," Hoffman shared. 

He further expressed his admiration, saying, "There was no one like her."

Alongside Hoffman and Garr, the 'Tootsie' cast featured notable performances by Jessica Lange, Dabney Coleman, and Charles Durning.

Garr's portrayal of Sandy Lester garnered critical acclaim and an Academy Award nomination.

However, Lange was awarded the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Julie Nichols.

Reflecting on her Oscar nod, Garr wrote in her 2005 memoir, 'Speedbumps: Flooring It Through Hollywood', “I was proud. The Academy not only knew I existed, they thought I was good!” Closer Weekly reported.

Teri Garr's battle with multiple sclerosis

Teri Garr revealed in 2002 that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic disease affecting the central nervous system, in 1999.

In her memoir, she humorously described MS as “a sneaky disease,” saying, “Like some of my boyfriends, it has a tendency to show up at the most awkward times and then disappear entirely."

"It would take over 20 years for doctors to figure out what was wrong. Sometimes they mentioned MS, but all the tests came back clear. Then the symptoms would fade away and I’d forget about it, sort of,” Garr wrote.

Her career spanned nearly 160 credits, with notable roles in influential films such as 'Young Frankenstein' and 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind', as well as her portrayal of Phoebe Buffay’s mother, Phoebe Abbott, in three episodes of the iconic sitcom 'Friends'.

Teri Garr’s further complications with brain aneurysm

Teri Garr's life was further complicated by a brain aneurysm she suffered in 2006, years after her MS diagnosis.

Despite these challenges, Garr remained active in her career, bringing joy to audiences across a variety of roles.

She died of a long battle with MS on Tuesday at her Los Angeles home. Her publicist, Heidi Schaeffer, told People that Garr was “surrounded by family and friends” at the time of her death.

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