Pat Carroll, a comedic television mainstay for decades, an Emmy-winner for \u201cCaesar\u2019s Hour\u201d and the voice Ursula in \u201cThe Little Mermaid,\u201d has died. She was 95.<\/P>
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 \u201chonor 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\u2026even in the saddest of times.\u201d<\/P>
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 \u201cHometown Girl,\u201d but she found her stride in television.<\/P>
She won an Emmy for her work on the sketch comedy series \u201cCaesar\u2019s Hour\u201d in 1956, was a regular on \u201cMake Room for Daddy\u201d with Danny Thomas, a guest star on \u201cThe DuPont Show with June Allyson\u201d and a variety show regular stopping by \u201cThe Danny Kaye Show,\u201d \u201cThe Red Skelton Show\u201d and \u201cThe Carol Burnett Show.\u201d<\/P>
Carroll also played one of the wicked stepsisters in the 1965 television production of \u201cRodgers and Hammerstein\u2019s Cinderella\u201d with Lesley Ann Warren.<\/P>
In addition, she also played one of the wicked stepsisters in the 1965 television production of \u201cRodgers and Hammerstein\u2019s Cinderella\u201d with Lesley Ann Warren. Plus, she won a Grammy in 1980 for the recording of her one-woman show \u201cGertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein.\u201d<\/P>
A new generation would come to know and love Carroll’s voice thanks to Disney\u2019s \u201cThe Little Mermaid,\u201d 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 \u201cPoor Unfortunate Souls\u201d would make her one of Disney\u2019s most memorable villains.<\/P>
Carroll would often say that Ursula was one of her favorite roles. She said she saw her as an \u201cEx-Shakespearean actress who now sold cars.\u201d<\/P>
\u201cShe\u2019s a mean old thing! I think people are fascinated by mean characters,\u201d Carroll said in an interview. \u201cThere\u2019s a fatal kind of distraction about the horrible mean characters of the world because we don\u2019t meet too many of them in real life. So when we have a chance, theatrically, to see one and this one, she\u2019s a biggie, it\u2019s kind of fascinating for us.\u201d<\/P>
She got the chance to reprise the role in several \u201cLittle Mermaid\u201d sequels, spinoffs and even theme park rides.<\/P>
Carroll was also the voice of Granny in the English-language dub of Hayao Miyazaki\u2019s \u201cMy Neighbor Totoro.”<\/P>
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Source: Voice of America\t<\/P>
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Pat Carroll, a comedic television mainstay for decades, an Emmy-winner for \u201cCaesar\u2019s Hour\u201d and the voice Ursula in \u201cThe Little Mermaid,\u201d has died. She was 95.Her daughter Kerry Karsian, a casting agent, said Carroll died at her home in Cape Cod, Massac…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n