The young “Frankenstein, Tootsie” actress has died at the age of 79

Teri Garr, an Oscar-nominated actress best known for her work in films such as Young Frankenstein, Mr Mom and Tootsie, has died aged 79, according to a US media report.

Garr died Tuesday in Los Angeles “surrounded by family and friends” after a 20-year battle with multiple sclerosis, her publicist Heidi Schaeffer said in a statement.

In 2002, she first spoke publicly about the chronic autoimmune disease to raise awareness for other people living with it.

The comedy actor suffered from other health problems and underwent surgery to repair an aneurysm in 2007, according to BBC's US news partner CBS.

Garr began her career as a background dancer in Elvis Presley films.

Her mother, also a former dancer, sent her to dance classes when she was six.

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

She then began dancing in films before appearing in television shows such as Batman and Dr. Kildare took part.

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. For Garr, this was a career breakthrough.

She established herself as a comedy actress and appeared frequently on the series 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 on television shows such as Star Trek and That Girl.