Theater News

Stage and Screen Star Janet Carroll Has Died

Janet Carroll
(© Joseph Marzullo/Retna)
Janet Carroll

(© Joseph Marzullo/Retna)

Stage and screen star Janet Carroll died May 22 after a long illness.

The actress made her Broadway debut as Aunt March in the 2005 musical Little Women, alongside Sutton Foster and Maureen McGovern.

Carroll won the Los Angeles Drama Logue Critics Award for outstanding achievement in theater for her work in Ezra Pound’s Electra. Among her many other stage credits were productions of
Lady Windemere’s Fan, Hello Dolly, Guys and Dolls,Mame, Gypsy, South Pacific, and more.

For eight years she worked as the Artistic Director of The Jazz Series at The Simi Valley Curtural Arts Center and she co-founded The Victory Ball in Westport, CT, annually benefitting ALS Foundation.

On film, Carroll got her break as Tom Cruise’ mother in Risky Business. She then went on to star in numerous films including Memories of Me, Forces of Nature, The Killing Time, Enough, and more.

She is survived by her son George Brown and daughter-in-law Lauren Shpall.