Michael Keaton is mourning the loss of his *Mr. Mom* co-star Teri Garr, who passed away on October 29 at the age of 79.
“This is a day I feared and knew was coming,” Keaton, 73, wrote on Instagram, reflecting on Garr, who had shared her diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in 2002. “Forget about how great she was as an actress and comedienne. She was a wonderful woman. Not just great to work with, but great to be around. AND go back and watch her comedic work—man, was she great!!”
In the classic 1983 comedy, Keaton and Garr starred as Jack and Caroline Butler, a married couple navigating role reversals when Jack, a laid-off Michigan dad, struggles with domestic duties as Caroline returns to work. *Mr. Mom* marked Keaton’s first leading role and also featured the late Martin Mull and Christopher Lloyd.
Speaking with *PEOPLE* just weeks before Garr's passing while promoting *Beetlejuice*, Keaton reminisced about working with her. “First of all, the first thing I’m going to talk about is the fabulous, and I mean fabulous legend, Teri Garr—how fantastic she is, how sweet she is, and how much fun we had in this movie,” he said. He encouraged fans to revisit her performances, saying, “Just go watch *Young Frankenstein*, man. And she’s still just so great.”
Keaton knew the John Hughes script was comedy gold from the start. “I remember reading the script. And I remember laughing out loud three or four times,” he said, noting that laughter out loud is a strong indicator of quality.
Keaton’s instincts were right; the movie, bolstered by the chemistry between him and Garr, was a box office success, earning $63 million (around $200 million today) and becoming one of the top 10 hits of the year.
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