Pat Carroll, the actress most recognised for portraying Ursula the sea witch in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, died at the age of 95. Carroll, who had been hospitalised with pneumonia, died on July 30 at her Cape Cod, Massachusetts, home, according to Deadline.
Hometown Girl, Caesar’s Hour, and Make Room for Daddy are just a few of the television shows that Carroll has been in during the course of her seven-decade career. Actresses such as Red Buttons, Carol Burnett, and Steve Allen participated in several variety programmes. As the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella and Catch a Star!, she created a reputation for herself on the stage as well.
In 1965, Carroll played Prunella, one of Cinderella’s stepsisters, in the TV version of the same musical. For her one-woman play about Gertrude Stein, the actor won several theatre accolades. As a result, Carroll’s most well-known role is that of Ursula in The Little Mermaid, which she portrayed in 1989. Carroll was a big part of what made that picture so important to the Disney Animated Renaissance. With Carroll’s tremendously terrifying voice, Ursula is one of Disney’s most iconic villains in its lengthy history.
The film is an animated musical masterpiece. Even outside of Disney, Ursula remains one of the greatest villains in cinematic history. In 1993, Carroll would resume the role of the Little Mermaid in the animated series. As a villain, she would also appear in House of Mouse, Mickey’s Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse, Mickey’s House of Villains, and the blockbuster video game series Kingdom Hearts. Carroll would later play Ursula’s younger sister Morgana in The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea, a 2000 direct-to-video sequel.
As well to The Brothers O’Toole, Racing with the Moon and the English dubbed version of My Neighbor Totoro, Carroll has worked on several more films. Carroll was an underappreciated pioneer in his field. She’ll always be a member of the Disney family, and her many great performances will live on. One of the most recognisable aspects of Disney is its fear-inducing antagonists. Carroll and her family are in our thoughts and prayers right now. All three of The Little Mermaid films, as well as The Little Mermaid: The Animated Series, are now available on Disney+.