A look back at the life of Shreveport’s Disney icon

Actress, comedian and voice actor Pat Carroll passed away two years ago at the age of 95. She passed away on July 30, 2022, at her home in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

She will be remembered as an icon in the world of Disney, for her role as one of the most critically acclaimed villains in animated film history…

Carroll was born in Shreveport on May 5, 1927. She spent her first five years in the city, before her family moved to Los Angeles. Almost immediately, Carroll became involved in show business, working in local productions in the LA area, before enlisting in the U.S. Army after high school.

Carroll made her Hollywood breakthrough in 1947, playing the character of Lorelei in the film Hometown Girl. She really got her start on television, appearing in shows like The Red Buttons Show, The Danny Thomas Show, The Saturday Night Revue, The Red Skelton Show, General Electric Theatre, The Carol Burnett Show and dozens more.

Her career was an award-winning one. She won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Caesar’s Hour in 1957. She won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Gertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein in 1981, for which she also won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play in 1980.

Carroll found many roles on stage during her career, including her Tony-nominated Broadway debut in Catch a Star! in 1955. Carroll was involved in productions of Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, and The Merry Wives of Windsor. Her stage career spanned six decades, from 1955 to 2002.

But it wasn’t until 1989 that Carroll became a pop culture icon. One voice role in a Disney film that wouldn’t be the same if someone else had voiced it. Carroll was the iconic voice of Ursula in Disney’s The Little Mermaid…

Ursula is one of the Disney villains who has found a fandom, a big one. It happened almost immediately. As Roger Ebert, the legendary film critic, called Ursula Disney’s “most satisfying villain since” 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Carroll took credit for the popularity and received praise everywhere.

Over the last 4 decades, Carroll has continued to give Ursula life with her voice. She has appeared in multiple films, TV shows, and even video games. Carroll’s voice has appeared in 6 releases of the Kingdom Hearts video game series, playing Ursula in total.