Pat Carroll, a comedic television mainstay for decades, Emmy-winner for 鈥淐aesar鈥檚 Hour鈥� and the voice Ursula in 鈥淭he Little Mermaid,鈥� has died. She was 95.
Her daughter Kerry Karsian, a casting agent, said Carroll died at her home in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, on Saturday. Her other daughter Tara Karsian wrote on Instagram that they want everyone to 鈥渉onor 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鈥ven in the saddest of times.鈥�
Carroll was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1927. Her family relocated to Los Angeles when she was 5 years old. Her first film role came in 1948 in 鈥淗ometown Girl鈥� but she found her stride in television. She won an Emmy for her work on the sketch comedy series 鈥淐aesar鈥檚 Hour鈥� in 1956, was a regular on 鈥淢ake Room for Daddy鈥� with Danny Thomas, a guest star on 鈥淭he DuPont Show with June Allyson鈥� and a variety show regular stopping by 鈥淭he Danny Kaye Show,鈥� 鈥淭he Red Skelton Show鈥� and 鈥淭he Carol Burnett Show.鈥�
She also played one of the wicked stepsisters in the 1965 television production of 鈥淩odgers and Hammerstein鈥檚 Cinderella鈥� with Lesley Ann Warren. And she won a Grammy in 1980 for the recording of her one woman show 鈥淕ertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein.鈥�
A new generation would come to know and love her voice thanks to Disney鈥檚 鈥淭he Little Mermaid,鈥� which came out in 1989. She was not the first choice of directors Ron Clements and John Musker or the musical team of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, who reportedly wanted Joan Collins or Bea Arthur to voice the sea witch. Elaine Stritch was even cast originally before Carroll got to audition. And her throaty rendition of 鈥淧oor Unfortunate Souls鈥� would make her one of Disney鈥檚 most memorable villains.
Carroll would often say that Ursula was one of her favourite roles. She said she saw her as an 鈥淓x-Shakespearean actress who now sold cars.鈥�
鈥淪he鈥檚 a mean old thing! I think people are fascinated by mean characters,鈥� Carroll said in an interview. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a fatal kind of distraction about the horrible mean characters of the world because we don鈥檛 meet too many of them in real life. So when we have a chance, theatrically, to see one and this one, she鈥檚 a biggie, it鈥檚 kind of fascinating for us.鈥�
She got the chance to reprise the role in several 鈥淟ittle Mermaid鈥� sequels, spinoffs and even theme park rides.
Carroll was also the voice of Granny in the English-language dub of Hayao Miyazaki鈥檚 鈥淢y Neighbor Totoro.鈥�
