Lisa Kudrow has shared her heartache following the passing of her Friends on-screen mother, Teri Garr.
On Tuesday, it was announced the beloved American actress - celebrated for her roles in Tootsie and Young Frankenstein - had died at the age of 79 due to complications from multiple sclerosis, a condition she had lived with since her diagnosis in 2002.
© Getty"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," Lisa, 61, said in a heartfelt statement released to People. "I feel so lucky and grateful I got to work with Teri Garr."
The late actress made her debut on Friends as Phoebe Abbott, the estranged birth mum to Lisa's Phoebe Buffay and Ursula Buffay, in season 3 and starred in three episodes titled; The One at the Beach, The One with the Jellyfish and The One with Phoebe's Uterus.
Fellow actress Melissa Joan Hart remembered working with Teri on Sabrina The Teenage Witch, writing: "What an honour to share the screen with the amazing #TeriGarr! Rest well and may God Bless the funny people!"
© Kevin WinterTeri went public with her multiple sclerosis diagnosis in 2002. Living with the condition, she previously told Brainandlife.org: "I think my career would have changed anyway at a certain age, but Hollywood's very finicky about everyone being perfect. When things slowed down, it was either the MS or that I'm a stinking actress, so I chose to believe it's the MS.
"There's definitely fear and misunderstanding out there about what MS is, and that's one of the reasons why it's so important to me to go out and talk about it."
The actress had married building contractor John O'Neil in 1993, and they adopted a daughter called Molly, before their divorce three years later.
© GettyOn how her daughter dealt with her diagnosis, Teri added: "She knows I have good days and bad days. When she was about eight, I started having more symptoms showing, so she's gotten used to it as it has progressed.
"She really appreciates life, and she's really kind to people. She's very compassionate. And she doesn't treat me any differently because of it—she says I'm not just a regular mom, but a Supermom."
