Teri Garr Quotes

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Teri Garr

Profession : Actress

Birth : December 11, 1944

I had been nominated for an Academy Award for my performance as Sandy Lester, Dustin Hoffman's neurotic, struggling actress girlfriend, in 'Tootsie.' Under Sydney Pollack's direction, 'Tootsie' had been a runaway hit starring Dustin as an unemployed actor who pretends to be a woman in order to land a role in a soap opera.

Teri Garr

I thought, 'If I can't be prom queen, I can dance 'Les Sylphide.'

Teri Garr

I'd like to play something classical. I'm in the Strindberg society, and we do readings of Strindberg plays. I'd love to do Nora in 'A Doll's House.' And Chekhov. I have been working back to back on what I call 'regular jobs,' so it's hard to do plays.

Teri Garr

How come women are treated differently from men all the time? Not only handicapped people, but women - and handicapped women, forget it!

Teri Garr

I was trying to work, but I noticed that people, if they had any inkling of the idea that I was sick or had MS... people shunned me. No work after that.

Teri Garr

There are several drugs out right now that can't stop multiple sclerosis, but they can slow it way down. They also made me puff up like a balloon. So I looked horrible. I hated that.

Teri Garr

My next book's title is going to be, 'I Have One Foot in the Grave and Another on a Banana Peel.'

Teri Garr

What's worse in Hollywood, being handicapped or being a woman over 50?

Teri Garr

I didn't tell people because I didn't want pity, and I was afraid I wouldn't get work. But others with MS need to know they are not alone. We don't have to be victims.

Teri Garr

If you get your foot in the door doing one kind of part, that's the kind of role they call you for. I can't say I resent it - then I would resent my whole career.

Teri Garr

Joan Collins was the best. She really could sort of pull it off, be really outrageous and never even flinch.

Teri Garr

There's people doing whatever the hell they want and getting away with it.

Teri Garr

My father died when I was 11. He was a vaudeville comedian. He worked in one movie, 'Ladies of the Chorus,' as Marilyn Monroe's father.

Teri Garr

My mother was a Rockette at Radio City.

Teri Garr

I went to North Hollywood High. I'm the original Val girl.

Teri Garr

My agents have me in the Actors' Protection Program. It seems to be working very well. Nobody can find me.

Teri Garr

The whole MS stuff put the kibosh on my career. And I sort of let it go. I even have a friend who went to CBS and said, 'I want Teri Garr to be in this series,' and the head of the network said, 'Oh no, she's got MS.'

Teri Garr

I think I look pretty good. And I know there are human beings my age who look the way I do. There must be stories about us - not just about people who are young and good-looking.

Teri Garr

When I was a dancer, I would see that dancers were treated like garbage. I mean like, like extras.

Teri Garr

Speed bumps, I was thinking, you know, you're driving along, everything's OK, and then there's a speed bump to go, 'Slow down.' Go over it real slowly, and you hit the pedal, and you keep going, and I just thought it was kind of a nice metaphor for life.

Teri Garr