It’s one thing to be a princess, genie, or some hero. It is undeniable that there is something far more tempting than being a villain. Provocative voice of Clap Carol brings Ursula to life, one of Disney’s most beloved villains. Don’t forget about her equally devious sister, Morgana. Carroll kept coming back to the underwater world, giving off his most sinister laugh. Queen Latifah take Little Mermaid baddies enter The Little Mermaid Lives! And Melissa McCarthy recently played a sea witch in a live-action Disney remake, and while both are great, Carroll remains supreme Ursula
Everyone knows the original animation performance, of course. From the incredible character designs to Carroll’s vocal performances, it forever linked the two as one. Her song, “Poor Unfortunate Souls” was also a rare occasion, as the first female villain to be given such exposure. But Carroll barely started in that iconic role.
Pat Carroll Barely Played Ursula
Postpone Little Mermaid adaptation, bringing extraordinary talent to the production. Initial plans to make it effective ended in the early 1940s. In the late 80s, the tone from the director Ron Clement And John Musker make everything start over. Among those hired were Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, these two make music so magical. But Pat Carroll wasn’t brought in so quickly. Bea Arthur is a popular choice thrown around, and it’s not hard to see why. Starring Golden Girl at that point, Arthur’s deep voice and singing backdrop proved ideal for Ursula. Musker explained why the idea fell through in an interview for Alan Neuwirthhis book, Makin’ Toons: Inside the Most Popular Animated TV Shows and Movies (2003). Apparently, the role of “witch” offended his agent so much, Arthur did not get to see the script. Neuwirth describes the two main contenders who are getting closer to the finish line. Broadway veteran Elaine Stritch And Charlotte Rae (Different Strokes). However, when it was decided the two were not a good match, Pat Carroll auditioned. Even though it took him a year to hear confirmation, he got the role.
By reading Hans Christian AndersonIn fairy tales, Ursula isn’t a villain and she doesn’t even have a name. The 1989 adaptation needed to expand on the character. Gone was the previous concept of a skinny sea witch. The Evil Queen, Maleficent, and Cruella’s body types were practically skeletons. That’s not to say Ursula is all about being curvy and chunky. She looks glamorous with blue eyeshadow that never fades. Gel hair can fall out depending on the mood. A guttural laugh erupted from him. Seeing him explode from Vanessa’s disguise is scarier than many live-action monster effects. Unlike the Evil Queen and Maleficent, when Ursula does transform for the end of the film, it doesn’t become something else but becomes a more massive version of herself.
Ursula Is a Scene Stealer
Appearing for around twenty minutes of its 80-minute runtime, Ursula absorbs all the attention in her scenes. “I’ll watch him wriggle like a worm on a hook!” he vomited gleefully with poison, one of many monologues he gave, perhaps his favorite eel, but mostly to himself. From Toon Makin, Carroll saw her as, “a former Shakespearean actress now selling cars.” Leaning into theatrics, gives the actress the freedom to be both hilarious and threatening. Ursula is a con artist who only has her goals in mind, not playing fair in the deal between Ariel (Jodi Benson). He’s the first Disney villain to get a song. Male counterparts have their moments, so Ursula (and Carroll) didn’t waste the chance. Who else would want to put together potions like he did so effortlessly? In “Poor Unfortunate Soul,” he manipulates Ariel with fake sympathy, ending with a thunderous cry of impatience. Now or never! A note of appreciation must go to Ashman. Carroll credits him as being the inspiration for how he performed the signature number.
Touching larger is the worse transformation mentioned above, the cover is a work of art to the eye and ear. Stealing the trident, Ursula transforms into, “lord of all seas!” The sea was churning and the waves were crashing. Clouds turned the sky dark and lightning flashed. Amidst this chaos was the monstrous Ursula, her voice deeper and fiercer. He is then killed as spectacularly as he was alive. In order to escape the macabre imagery, many Disney villains often fall to their deaths: bloodless, but the results are clear. Ursula carries the shipwreck bow to her stomach, electrocuted by the stormy weather to finish the job. As he sank, his tentacles dragged the wreck down, much like the reverse of a kraken’s attack. This sea monster did not commit destruction but, finally, was destroyed.
Carroll Returns to the Sea
Direct-to-video sequel That The Little Mermaid II: Back to the Sea more or less a vulcanization of its predecessor. Princess Ariel Melody (Strong Tara) is refused to go near the sea, in contrast to his mother’s refusal to leave him. With Ursula gone, who could become the next villain? Carroll again gave his voice to none other than Morgana, Ursula’s sister. Not all Disney villains have siblings, so these tentacled sisters join a limited group. Not as strong as Ursula, causing Morgana to be endlessly irritated. Despite the loss of her dearest, she wants to carry out Ursula’s plan of power, this time successfully. This was also to show his unseen and presumed dead mother he was a better son. Having failed, Morgana and her troops went into hiding to attack again. Who take many years. The older Melody opposes her mother and Morgana sees it as an opportunity to entice the girl. The sea witch manipulates Melody into stealing her own grandfather’s trident. It all worked out, until Melody realized her mistake. King Triton (Kenneth Mars) traps Morgana in a block of ice, allowing her to sink into the dark depths of the ocean. It’s not as cruel as it was with Ursula, but as much as Morgana wants to be, she can never be his sister. Not in life or in the possibility of death.
In Morgana’s introduction, hear how she screams, “You all make him kebabs!” referring to Ursula. Whether or not a sequel needs to be made, Carroll delivers another delicious performance. There’s no shortage of famous chuckles, and Carroll even throws in a few extras. While the villain isn’t as memorable, Morgana does have certain unique aspects. She eventually resembles the tall, slender figure of Bea Arthur, the original 1989 sought-after actress for the sea witch. Unlike her purple Ursula, Morgana has green skin, with puffy, thick hair. There are also different location changes of Ursula’s coral-like lair. Morgana retreats to the ice tundra of the castle. It makes sense to include ice in its destruction.
Carroll had a distinguished career before and after classic animation. Her TV roles consist of Laverna & Shirley, Designing WomenAnd ER. On stage, he acts Catch Stars! and a one-woman show about Gertrude Stein. In the film, he plays a role in Nancy Drew And Independence Writer, both released in 2007. This is just to name a few credits for his list of works. But he always comes back to Ursula, in Little Mermaid TV series, Mouse House, video games, and Disney parks. The character is a tribute to the actress’ talent long before she died. As Ursula, Pat Carroll stole the voice of a mermaid, becoming queen of the seas while posing an overwhelming threat.