Teri Garr: Young Frankenstein, Tootsie actress dies at 79

Garr got her start as a background dancer in Elvis Presley movies.

Her mother, also a former dancer, put her in dance classes at the age of six.

Her first gig was joining the road company for West Side Story in Los Angeles.

She then began dancing in movies before starring in television shows like Batman and Dr. Kildare.

Garr's big break came in 1974 when she played a supporting role in the thriller, The Conversation.

She was then cast as Gene Wilder's lab assistant in the horror comedy Young Frankenstein where she spoke with a German accent. This was a career breakthrough for Garr.

She established herself as a comedy actor and began making frequent appearances on Late Night with David Letterman.

Beyond comedy, Garr also played dramatic roles in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and The Black Stallion. She also appeared in television shows such as Star Trek and That Girl.