Pat Carroll, Voice Of The Little Mermaid’s Ursula, Dies At 95
Pat Carroll, the actress who voiced the villainous Ursula in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, has passed away at the age of 95. The American actress was born in 1927 in Louisiana, and gained her first credit in 1948’s Hometown Girl. Her early career saw her guest star on several television series and variety shows, including an Emmy-winning part on Caesar’s Hour. As a performer, Carroll also played larger-than-life characters in musicals, such as Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1965 Cinderella adaptation.
By the 1980s, the experienced Carroll became a frequent voice actress in cartoons from A Pup Named Scooby-Doo and Garfield. She even lent her tones to the American re-dub of Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbour Totoro in 2005. Her most recognisable turn, however, was playing the sea witch Ursula in Disney’s 1989 classic The Little Mermaid. The role became a career-defining moment for the veteran performer, as she continued to reprise Ursula in all manners of spin-off media over the last three decades, including the Kingdom Hearts video game series and the direct-to-video Little Mermaid sequel films.
Related: The Little Mermaid: Why Ursula Was Banished
Sadly, THR reports that the 95-year-old actress has passed away this week. The generation-crossing performer died at her family home in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, after suffering with pneumonia. The news was confirmed by her daughter, Kerry Karsian, yesterday on July 31. Carroll leaves behind an extensive and talented family, including her other two daughters with late former husband Lee Karsian: Tara, an actress, and Kerry, a casting director.
Fittingly, Carroll’s final performance was as the iconic Ursula one more time in a cameo appearance in The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse in 2020.
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