The actress launched her career with a credit in the 1963 movie A Swingin’ Affair, but she began landing bigger roles after a coveted guest spot on the Star Trek episode “Assignment: Earth” in 1968. From there, she scored one of her most beloved roles as Inga in the 1974 classic Young Frankenstein, followed by a string of equally notable films like Tootsie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Mr. Mom.
Sadly, she began experiencing unusual medical symptoms that led to her diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in 1999. In December 2006, she fell into a coma for weeks after suffering a brain aneurysm. On October 29, her passing at the age of 79 was confirmed by her publicist, Heidi Schaeffer.
