Ursula Little Mermaid Pat Carroll

2022 - 8 - 1

Pat Carroll, voice of Ursula in Disney's 'The Little Mermaid,' dead at ... (CNN)

Pat Carroll, the Emmy-winning actress best known as the voice of the villainous sea witch Ursula in Disney's "The Little Mermaid," has died at the age of ...

She also provided the vocals for the sea witches' signature song, "Poor Unfortunate Souls." In 1988, she voiced the role of Granny in the English version of the Japanese classic animation "My Neighbor Totoro." But it was her performance a year later as one of Disney's most memorable villains, in "The Little Mermaid," that catapulted her to international fame. Carroll landed her first voiceover gig in 1966, for the animated television series "The Super 6."

Pat Carroll, Emmy winner and voice of Ursula, dies at 95 (NPR)

Her daughter Kerry Karsian, a casting agent, said Carroll died at her home in Cape Cod, Mass., on Saturday. Her other daughter Tara Karsian wrote on Instagram ...

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'The Little Mermaid' star Pat Carroll, the voice of Ursula, dies at 95 (ABC News)

Emmy and Grammy winner Pat Carroll, famous for voicing Ursula in "The Little Mermaid," has died. She was 95.

On film, she appeared in a pair of Doris Day-starring films in the '60s, the English dub of "My Neighbor Totoro" in 1988 and both "Freedom Writers" and "Nancy Drew" in 2007. Her son Sean Karsian died in 2009. Of this, Tara Karsian wrote, "Truer words were never written and this is how we'll always remember her."

Pat Carroll, voice of Ursula from 'The Little Mermaid,' dies at 95 (Deseret News)

Actress and comedienne Pat Carroll passed away this weekend at 95 years old, concluding a life full of smiles and laughter. Pat Carroll is well-known for ...

But Carroll’s most indisputably memorable role would come later in the actress and comedienne’s life, after a spell of only playing maternal roles on television. Her role as one of the wicked stepsisters, Prunella, in the 1965 musical rendition of “Cinderella” was one of her most prominent stage roles. Carroll lost a bout with pneumonia on July 30, her daughter Kerry Karsian told the Hollywood Reporter, leaving behind a legacy on both stage and screen.

'Little Mermaid' star Jodi Benson mourns Pat Carroll, the voice of ... (Fox News)

Joan Collins, Bea Arthur and Elaine Stritch were considered for the role of Ursula in 'The Little Mermaid' before Pat Carroll made her mark with "Poor ...

So when we have a chance, theatrically, to see one and this one, she’s a biggie, it’s kind of fascinating for us." Her throaty rendition of "Poor Unfortunate Souls" would make her one of Disney’s most memorable villains. Carroll would often say that Ursula was one of her favorite roles. She lived an amazing and full life filled with love, family and a remarkable career." "My heart is broken," wrote Benson. "Pat was an incredible woman. Her daughter Kerry Karsian, a casting agent, said Carroll died at her home in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

How Pat Carroll's Ursula, 'Little Mermaid' changed Disney history (Los Angeles Times)

Pat Carroll, who voiced Ursula in "The Little Mermaid," died Saturday at 95. The role defined Disney's queer canon — and helped launch a renaissance.

After all, Disney needs the encouragement: More than 30 years since Ursula and “The Little Mermaid’s” debut, the company’s animated features have made minimal progress overall in terms of LGBTQ representation (especially compared to queer representation in TV animation). A commercial and critical hit, “The Little Mermaid” changed the trajectory of animation at the studio and ushered in a new golden age of animated features now known as the Disney renaissance. For decades the studio released animated films that are now considered classics, including “Pinocchio” (1940), “Cinderella” (1950), “Peter Pan” (1953), “Sleeping Beauty” (1959) and “The Jungle Book” (1967). Beyond that, “The Little Mermaid” and the beloved, campy Ursula are also a reflection of Disney’s complicated queer canon. The film, as well as Ashman’s influence, is now credited with launching the Disney renaissance, a period of acclaimed animated musical adaptations that is still creatively mined for everything from theme-park rides to live-action films. While characters like Ursula have been embraced by queer fans, it’s now understood that relegating queer and queer-coded characters to roles as villains or punchlines is harmful.