Pat Carroll, voice of Ursula in ‘The Little Mermaid,’ dies

by Alix Martichoux, Nexstar Media Wire - 07/31/22 6:02 PM ET

Actresses Pat Carroll and Jodi Benson , who voiced the roles of Ursula and Ariel in Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” are reunited at the all-new attraction “The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure” at Disney’s California Adventure park on June 1, 2011 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Paul Hiffmeyer/Disney Parks via Getty Images)

(NEXSTAR) – Actor Pat Carroll died Saturday in her home in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, multiple news outlets reported Sunday. She was 95 years old.

Her voice is familiar to generations thanks to her role as villainous sea creature Ursula in Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.” Carroll’s acting career spanned film, television and the stage.

By the time she took away Ariel’s voice in the 1989 animated “Little Mermaid,” Carroll had dozens of acting credits to her name dating back to the 1940s. Carroll had a recurring role on the sitcom “Make Room for Daddy” and made regular appearances on sketch and variety shows, like the “The Carol Burnett Show.” She won an Emmy award for her work on the sketch comedy series “Caesar’s Hour” in 1957.

Her voice acting as Ursula may not have won her any prestigious awards, but Carroll’s voice did earn her a Grammy in 1981. She won in the category for Best Spoken Word, Documentary or Drama Recording, for her reading of “Gertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein.”

Carroll died of pneumonia, her daughter told The Hollywood Reporter.

Pat Carroll attends The Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Presents “Retire From Showbiz? No Thanks!” at Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Conference Centre on January 31, 2013 in North Hollywood, California. (Photo by Valerie Macon/Getty Images)
Actresses Jodi Benson and Pat Carroll , who voiced the roles of Ursula and Ariel in Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” are reunited at the all-new attraction “The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure” at Disney’s California Adventure park on June 1, 2011 in Anaheim, California. The first-ever attraction based on the classic Disney film opens June 3, 2011. (Photo by Paul Hiffmeyer/Disney Parks via Getty Images)

No plans for a public memorial have been announced, according to Deadline.

Two other notable celebrity deaths were also announced Sunday. NBA great Bill Russell passed away at age 88, his family announced. “Star Trek” actress and trailblazer Nichelle Nichols died at 89, her son said.

Tags Nichelle Nichols