‘The Little Mermaid’ Star Pat Carroll Passes At 95 With Best Friend By Her Side

Veteran actress Patricia 'Pat' Carroll, widely regarded for her voice role as Ursula in Disney's "Little Mermaid," sadly passed away at 95.   

Per the report, she died from pneumonia in her home in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, on July 30, 2022, which her rep verified, adding that a loved one was by her side at the time.

According to Variety, Pat's sudden passing was confirmed by her representative, Derek Maki, who revealed that her best friend was with her on her dying bed.   

The outlet also detailed her life and entertainment career that spanned a whopping seven decades, beginning with her features in local productions at a young age.

As you may know, she was welcomed to the world on May 5, 1927, in Shreveport, Louisiana, and when she was five, her family relocated to Los Angeles.

While in L.A., she acted in several district films and went on to attend the Catholic University of America before enlisting in the U.S. Army during World War II.

It is worth knowing that the late comedian gained her first major role in 1947 in the movie "Hometown Girl" after which she appeared regularly on variety shows over the following three decades.

As for her later projects, she was featured in "Sid Caesar's House," which got her an Emmy Award. She also displayed her comedy prowess in films like "Make Room for Daddy" and "She's the Sheriff," among others. 

In addition, some of her other comedy works include "The Jimmy Durante Show," "The Danny Thomas Show," and "Too Close for Comfort."

Pat's further major appearances came on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "Laverne & Shirley," "The Love Boat," "E.R.," and "Designing Women."

She also hosted several game shows on 20th Century television, such as "To Tell the Truth," "The Match Game," "I've Got a Secret," "Password All-Stars," "You Don't Say," and "The $10,000 Pyramid."

The 95-year-old earned significant applause for her performance as Gertrude Stein in her single-woman theater show. Furthermore, its recorded version got her a Grammy in 1980 for "best-spoken word (documentary or drama.)."

In 1989, she used her outstanding talents in voicing Ursula in "Little Mermaid," singing the production's hit piece "Poor Unfortunate Souls."

While she regarded her role in the film as a "career favorite," she further reprised the character across multiple media forms. 

Pat, who will always be remembered by friends, family, and fans, is survived by her daughters, Kerry Karsian and Tara Karsian, as well as her granddaughter, Evan Karsian-McCormick.

Last month, Insider made a detailed report about the live-action remake of Disney's "Little Mermaid," including the cast list and its release date scheduled for May 26, 2023.

The new film will be directed by Rob Marshall and comprises music from the original piece in addition to new tracks developed by EGOT winner Alan Menken and "Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Speaking of the original movie, it revolves around 16-year-old Ariel, a mermaid who was "fascinated by humans and desperately wanted to experience their world."

As for the soundtrack of the upcoming project, Miranda said it "has three or four original tunes, replacing none of the ones you like. All of those are in."

The creator also mentioned that there will be music inspired by Ariel's time on land, which she explained, "[Ariel] experiences a lot of firsts as someone with legs for the first time, we got to lean into all of that musically."

It is no news that multi-faceted artist Halle Bailey will star as Ariel while Jonah Hauer-King will act as Prince Eric, who falls in love with the mermaid after saving him from drowning in the ocean.

Ariel's protective father and ruler of the sea, King Triton, will be played by Javier Bardem, who had seven daughters in the original movie, with Ariel being the youngest of them.

In addition, the king constantly warned his youngest daughter not to swim to the surface because he saw humans as barbaric creatures.

The famous sea witch, Ursula, in the Disney project will be portrayed by Melissa McCarthy, whose version of the character will be Ariel's "evil aunt."  

Other performers in the production include "Snowpiercer" actor Daveed Diggs, "Good Boys" star Jacob Tremblay, comedian Awkwafina, "The Undoing" actress Noma Dumezweni, "Get Even" star Jessica Alexander, and "Bridgerton" actress Simone Ashley.