R.I.P. Pat Carroll, staple on classic television and Ursula's voice in The Little Mermaid

The Emmy award-winning actress was 95.

AP Images

Pat Carroll was just five years old when she relocated from Shreveport, Louisiana to Los Angeles with her family, allowing her to grow up surrounded by the entertainment industry. 

Carroll hit her stride as an actress and comedian during the golden age of television.

She made her first appearance on the big screen in the 1948 film Hometown Girl before becoming a regular on the sketch comedy show Caesar's Hour, which ran from 1954 to 1957

Making 45 appearances on Caesar's Hour, Carroll won an Emmy for Best Supporting Performance next to star Sid Caesar.  

Throughout the Fifties and Sixties, Carroll jumped from show to show, reaching more viewers and further-establishing her name as a comedic relief staple across entertainment. 

She bacame a regular on The Danny Thomas Show, also known as Make Room for Daddy, appearing in 40 episodes. Carroll portrayed Bunny Halper, the wife of the main character's boss. The show, which featured the backdoor pilot to The Andy Griffith Show in season seven, featured Caroll in three of its 11 total seasons.

Bunny often appeared across from her husband Charlie Halper, played by Sid Melton, who was in 90 episodes of the long-running comedy. 

It was no surprise to see Pat Carroll on The Carol Burnett Show, The DuPont Show with June Allyson or The Danny Kaye Show. Carroll played Prunella, one of the stepsisters in the 1965 version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella

Carroll also collected a Grammy during her expansive career, earning the trophy for the Best Spoken Word, Documentary or Drama category in her recording of Gertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein.

Later generations would come to know Carroll's voice in Disney's The Little Mermaid as the villainous character Ursula. The part gave Carroll an international audience and is documented as one of her favorite roles throughout her career. Along with lines in the animated film, Carroll sang the well-remembered song in the movie titled "Poor Unfortunate Souls." 

She was no stranger to voice roles prior to The Little Mermaid, heard in the 1966 animated TV series The Super 6 and the English-version of the Japanese film My Neighbor Totoro

Carroll would go on to play the voice role of Ursula in many variations including the 2002 movie Mickey's House of Villains and in multiple video games. 

Her voice could also be heard as Grandma Arbuckle in A Garfield Christmas and Garfield's Thanksgiving, both released before her role as Ursula. 

No matter how you know the name Pat Carroll, her various works across multiple decades signify what she has meant to film and entertainment. 

Carroll passed away Saturday at her home, according to ABC. She was 95. 

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40 Comments

forthekids 22 months ago
I was lucky enough to meet Pat Caroll in NYC..years ago..she was a sweet and kindly person..(Crying)I'll miss her..Goodbye Pat.
Dario 27 months ago
Pat was also a cast member of that Partridge Family(1970-74) spin off Getting Together, which lasted from September 18, 1971 until January 8, 1972.
cperrynaples 27 months ago
Carroll has been seen on MeTV in an unusual way! in one of the commericial montages, Carol Burnett tells her, "You may have seen me on TV!"
LoveMETV22 cperrynaples 27 months ago
That's cool. I guess she's been seen on MeTV in a usual way on The Mary Tyler Moore Show,
My Three Sons, Laverne & Shirley, The Love Boat.
Michael 27 months ago
I just noticed she played Miep Gies in "Freedom Writers".

Miep Gies helped Anne Frank and her family when they were in hiding. And lived a very long life, dying one month before her 101st birthday. Revenge is sweet.
kkvegas 27 months ago
One of my favorite Pat Carroll roles was when she played Mary's cantankerous hospital roommate on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. RIP.
Beatseeker kkvegas 27 months ago
i remember! she was funny! of course, mary....
MarkSpeck 27 months ago
She was in dozens of sitcoms over the years, both as a guest and a regular (including the short-lived Partridge Family spinoff Getting Together and the revamped Too Close For Comfort). Another fondly remembered icon from my childhood now gone. Rest well, Miss Carroll, and thank you for all the laughs... :(
queenlaese 27 months ago
I remember her best as Prunella. What is remembered lives. RIP.
Sway 27 months ago
RIP Pat Carroll. Remember seeing her all over TV. Funny lady.
Runeshaper 27 months ago
R.I.P. Pat Carroll. She was an excellent Ursula!
RobertM 27 months ago
She was also on "Too Close for Comfort".
cperrynaples RobertM 27 months ago
Actually, it was The Ted Knight Show, the spinoff where she owned the paper where Knight's character worked! She owned 51% and he owned 49%!
Zip RobertM 27 months ago
Thank you! I thought that was her but I didn't see it mentioned in the story. And I was being too lazy to look it up.
rikkirat 27 months ago
I met Ms. Carroll and Richard Dreyfus when they stopped by our radio studios for an appearance on our show. They were in town to appear in a play. She gave me her autograph for my then five year old daughter (big fan of Little Mermaid) and under her signature wrote Ursula in parentheses). She and Mr, Dreyfus were very kind and were wonderful guests on our show. Rest In Peace Pat Carroll. We’re losing way too many legends this past spring and summer.
RichLorn rikkirat 27 months ago
Sadly there aren't many "celebrities" that are like that anymore.
musicman37 RichLorn 9 months ago
I know. They have a serious lack of talent, yet think so highly of themselves they won't interact with fans.
cperrynaples 27 months ago
Let's not forget that Carroll was the perfect game show contestant! Just yesterday, I saw her as the mystery guest on What's My Line? fooling the panel with a perfect Carol Channing imatation!
KJExpress cperrynaples 27 months ago
I wish I had seen that.
GinaGalway 27 months ago
I was surprised she had still been with us all this time. Hadn't seen her in ages. I worked at Circle Rep in NYC where she did her one woman show "Gertrude Stein" and she was brilliant. Woman got a standing ovation every night. And later she played Sir John Falstaff ! (a serious performance that received a rave review from Frank Rich of the NY Times) at the Folger Shakespeare Theater in D.C. One of my best friends from college, a guy, was her standby. I first enjoyed her as Bunny Halper on "Make Room for Daddy" aka The Danny Thomas Show.
KJExpress 27 months ago
I first remember seeing Pat Carroll in Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella" which was a tv staple for many years of my youth. I couldn't wait for each re-broadcast. I've seen her in many shows since then and she was always such fun no matter what role she was in.
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LoveMETV22 MrsPhilHarris 27 months ago
Oops I forgot the apostrophe in Its ( ' ) LOL Oooh the earth just shook.
MrsPhilHarris LoveMETV22 27 months ago
Lol I felt it shaking up here! 😵‍💫
Moverfan MrsPhilHarris 27 months ago
Oh, that's what that was?
And the apostrophe in we're.
TheDavBow3 27 months ago
A super talented, funny, unsung actress. R.I.P.
MrsPhilHarris 27 months ago
I just saw her in With Six You Get Eggroll. She has been all over tv for years.


Pacificsun 27 months ago
Who knows where these pictures are found sometimes. They certainly posted one of the most beautiful for Nichelle Nichols. With a little bit of a search, let's do Pat Carroll's memory a little more justice with this one. She was all over television during her career and certainly made a contribution to entertainment.

LoveMETV22 Pacificsun 27 months ago
R.I.P. Pat Carroll.
A memory to one of her favorite roles during her career:
Carroll's voice in Disney's The Little Mermaid as the villainous character Ursula.
Pacificsun LoveMETV22 27 months ago
A delightful voice! Wouldn't have come across it, except for you kindly and deservingly so, posting it here. Fitting tribute. TY.
tootsieg LoveMETV22 27 months ago
Thanks for posting.
RIP Pat Carroll.
maxh22 27 months ago
RIP to the Legendary Pat Carroll. you will forever be missed 🐙.
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