Pat Carroll, the comedian and actor best known for voicing Ursula in The Little Mermaid, has passed away at the age of 95.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Carroll passed away at her Cape Cod, Massachusetts home due to pneumonia on Sunday July 31st. The actor had a long career in television and film and began doing voiceover work.
There will be a live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid, but no one will ever forget the original, and Ursula is one of the most memorable and beloved characters. While she is of course a villain who hates Ariel (voiced by Jodi Benson), Ursula is compelling and fascinating to kids, who want to keep watching her.
In 1952 and 1953, Carroll appeared on The Red Buttons Show, and some of her most notable roles include playing herself in two episodes of The Carol Burnett Show, Loretta Kuhne on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and Mrs. Wilhelmina Feeney on Laverne and Shirley. In 1957, Carroll won an Emmy for Best Supporting Performance By An Actress for Caeser's Hour, the sketch comedy series that aired on NBC from 1954 until 1957. There were musical sketches on the show as well.
Carroll's most famous role was the voice of Ursula in The Little Mermaid, which was released in 1989. Caroll also voiced Ursula in 2001's Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse and 2002's Mickey's House of Villains. In 2017 and 2018, Carroll played the role of Old Lady Crowley on the TV show Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure. In 2014, she played Joan in the movie BFFs and played the Landlady character in 2007's Nancy Drew. There are many beautiful Disney animated movie scenes and it was always a joy watching Ursula as voiced by Pat Carroll.
According to Inside The Magic Net, Carroll loved Disney and always thought that it would wonderful to be in a DIsney movie. She only paid 25 cents to see Snow White and the Seven Dwarves in the movie theater, and her agent let her know that she could audition for a Disney film, which was exciting news. She sang and acted three times each and when she learned that she got the role because another actress didn't end up working out, she felt it was a dream come true. Carroll said that Ursula is "pushy" and "physically bigger than life" and that playing one of Disney's most evil villains was a favorite part for her.
Carroll has three children with her ex-husband Lee Karsian, whom she married in 1955. Carroll's daughter Tara Karsian shared the sad news of her mom's death on Instagram and wrote in the caption, "It is with a heavy heart that I write that my mother, Pat Carroll, has passed away at the grand old age of 95. We ask that you honor her by having a raucous laugh at absolutely anything today (and everyday forward) because besides her brilliant talent and love, she leaves my sister Kerry and I with the greatest gift of all, imbuing us with humor and the ability to laugh…even in the saddest of times."
Source: The Hollywood Reporter