Janet Carroll obit

Broadway Veteran Janet Carroll Passes Away at 71

 

She was not on the list.

Star of Film, Television and Stage passed away peacefully Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012 after a long illness. She fought the good fight for a few years and is now happily released from pain and struggle. Surviving her is her son George Brown, daughter-in-law Lauren Shpall and many dear friends and family. Janet is pre deceased by her son Tom Brown (1978) and her parents George and Hilda Thiese (2010)

Janet began her stage career right out of high school at the legendary Kansas City Starlight Theatre, appearing in numerous productions there as well as in local Chicago theatres. She appeared in: Mame, Hello Dolly, Guys and Dolls, South Pacific, Pajama Game, Carousel, Gypsy and many others before moving to California and continuing her stage work there. Other notable productions include: Lady Windemere's Fan with Lynn Redgrave and John Lithgow, A Couple of White Chicks co-starring Cloris Leachman, and Electra, for which she received the coveted Los Angeles Drama Logue Critics' Award. She made her Broadway debut starring alongside Sutton Foster and Maureen McGovern in the original musical Little Women.

Janet's big film break came when she was cast as Tom Cruise's mother in Risky Business. From that point on she stayed an extremely busy film actress. Film credits include: Memories of Me, Destiny Turns on the Radio, Family Business, Talent for the Game, Enough, The Killing Time, Forces of Nature and My Guaranteed Student Loan. She had recurring or starring roles in the following television series: Married With Children, Murphy Brown, Melrose Place, The Bronx Zoo and The Bonnie Hunt Show among others. She also appeared on such shows as: Brothers and Sisters, Mary, Designing Women, Matlock, Third Rock from the Sun, Law & Order SVU, and Scrubs.

Her list of co-stars reads like a Who's Who of Hollywood: Sean Connery, Celeste Holm, Dustin Hoffman, Sandra Bullock, Brad Pitt, Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck, Matthew Broderick, Mary Tyler Moore, Ed Asner and Edward James Olmos, to name but a few.

Janet was the Artistic Director of The Jazz Series at Simi Valley Cultural Center for eight years. She happily performed on tour with The Beverly Hills Unlisted Jazz Band, recorded a few albums -- her latest being Lady Be Good which she released at Feinstein's in 2011. Janet was also the co founder of The Victory Ball in Westport, CT, annually benefiting ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) and she served on the executive board of directors for Ginny Mancini's Society of Singers as VP of Development. Along the way, Janet became an ordained minister and performed many wedding and funeral services, and never passed up an opportunity to sing in the church choir.

A memorial service will be held at Advent Lutheran Church, located at 93rd and Broadway in Manhattan this Saturday. Her ashes will be spread in the Edgebrook Lutheran Church Memorial Garden alongside her parents in Chicago, Illinois in a ceremony to take place on June 10th.

 

 

Filmography

Film

Year     Title            Role            Notes

1983    Risky Business            Joel's Mother

1985    Secret Admirer            Toni's Mother

1987    The Killing Time            Lila Daggett           

1988            Memories of Me            Dorothy Davis

1989    Family Business            Margie

1990    The Platinum Triangle            Lt. Smith   

1991    Talent for the Game            Rachel Bodeen           

1995    Born to Be Wild            Judge Billings 

1995    Destiny Turns on the Radio   Escabel           

1995            Timemaster       Miss Spinell 

1999    Forces of Nature            Barbara         

1999    The Omega Code            Dorothy Thompson    

2001    All You Need    Jane Sabistan          

2002            Changing Hearts            Mrs. Lane    

2002    Enough            Mrs. Hiller   

2002    The Marriage Undone            Judge Dunbar

2005            Confession      Mother Superior          

2005    Living 'til the End            Constance Whilton     

2007    Beyond the Quest            Julia Baron  

2009            (Untitled)         Helen Finkelstein       

2009    The Art of War III: Retribution            Secretary General Barnes 

2011    What Happens Next            Gloria  

2015    College Debts            Grandma Clare         

2016    Crosser            Julia Barron 

 

Television

Year     Title            Role            Notes

1983    Knight Rider    Denise Merritt            Episode: "Soul Survivor"

1983, 1986            Hill Street Blues            Peg / Peggy   2 episodes

1984    Getting Physical            Myra Gibley            Television film

1984    E/R            Beth            Episode: "Son of Sheinfeld"

1984    Son of Sheinfeld            Assistant            Television film

1984, 1985            Spencer           Donna            2 episodes

1985    Alice            Dr. Rose Goodwin            Episode: "Kiss the Grill Goodbye"

1985    Cagney & Lacey            Helene Ledding            Episode: "Con Games"

1985    Double Dare     Lt. Samantha Warner 6 episodes

1986    Mary            Rachel            Episode: "The Death Threat"

1986    The Right of the People            Marjorie            Television film

1986    The Twilight Zone            Marilyn Cavendish            Episode: "Cold Reading"

1986            Samaritan: The Mitch Snyder Story            Susan Baker            Television film

1986    You Again?  Stacey Wendell            Episode: "Marry Me A

1987    The Golden Girls            Phyllis Hammerow            Episode: "The Actor"

1987    Silver Spoons Arlene            Episode: "Hero Worship"

1987            Designing Women            Sissy Tate            Episode: "Seams from a Marriage"

1987    Bluffing It            Margaret Duggan            Television film

1987    A Year in the Life            Joanne            2 episodes

1987    227            Emily Mortimer            Episode: "The Facade"

1987–1988            The Bronx Zoo            Carol Danzig  8 episodes

1988    21 Jump Street            Mrs. Poolish            Episode: "A Big Disease with a Little Name"

1988    L.A. Law     Judge Geraldine Parker            Episode: "Hey, Lick Me Over"

1988–1989            The Boys            Marjorie          4 episodes

1989    Jake and the Fatman            Joan Thompson            Episode: "I'll Never Smile Again"

1989            Quantum Leap Janie Wilson            Episode: "Camikazi Kid"

1989    When He's Not a Stranger            Counselor            Television film

1990            Mancuso, F.B.I.            Corinne            Episode: "Shiva Me Timbers"

1990    Glory Days    Mrs Lovejoy            Episode: "The Kids Are Allright"

1990    Life Goes On            Elaine Oslot            Episode: "Corky and the Dolphins"

1990    Empty Nest     Leah            Episode: "There's No Accounting"

1990    The Famous Teddy Z          Fay Parr            Episode: "Teddy's Big Date"

1990–1996            Murphy Brown  Doris Dial      10 episodes

1991            Daughters of Privilege            Gail Brody            Television film

1991    Pacific Station  Judy Epstein            Episode: "Waiting for the Other Gumshoe to Drop"

1992            Reasonable Doubts            Tori Slade            Episode: "The Shadow of Death"

1992–1993            The Hat Squad            Kitty            6 episodes

1993–1997            Melrose Place Marion Shaw    7 episodes

1994    The Mommies            Cindy the Clown            Episode: "A Day in the Life"

1994    Boy Meets World            Nurse Jill            Episode: "I Dream of Feeny"

1994–1997            Married... with Children            Gary            7 episodes

1995            Betrayed: A Story of Three Women            Patty            Television film

1995            Matlock          Anita Montrose            Episode: "The Heist"

1995, 1996            Bonnie            Diane Fulton   2 episodes

1996    Coach            Loretta            Episode: "Somebody's Baby"

1996    Pacific Blue            Dorothy            Episode: "All Jammed Up"

1996            Touched by an Angel            Diana Abernathy            Episode: "Something Blue"

1997    The Jeff Foxworthy Show   Esme Channing            Episode: "Jeff, You the Man"

1998    The Closer  Maude Bertram            Episode: "Dobbs Takes a Holiday"

1998    Living in Captivity            Nancy            Episode: "The Unkindest Cut"

1998    Maggie            Eleanor            2 episodes

1998    Cupid            Dr. Darcy Wyatt            Episode: "End of an Eros"

1999    7th Heaven Betty Tomlin            Episode: "Yak Sada"

1999    Time of Your Life            Georgia Halloway            Episode: "The Time Sarah Got Her Shih-Tzu Together"

1999    3rd Rock from the Sun      Mrs. Runquist            Episode: "Dial M for Dick"

1999    The Norm Show            Martha            Episode: "Norm vs. Norm"

1999    Beverly Hills, 90210            Patsy Regan            Episode: "Family Tree"

1999    Frank Leaves for the Orient   Frank's Mom    2 episodes

2001    Dead Last      Lucy Vard            Episode: "He Who Smelt It"

2002    Ally McBeal            Ellen Fish            Episode: "What I'll Never Do for Love Again"

2002            Pasadena         Phyllis Cameron            Episode: "The Body"

2002, 2004            Still Standing            Helen Michaels            2 episodes

2003    Judging Amy     Atty. Marx            Episode: "Sixteen Going on Seventeen"

2006    Scrubs            Mrs. Cooke            Episode: "My Own Personal Hell"

2006            Brothers & Sisters            Sloane Dodelson            Episode: "Family Portrait"

2008    The Clown Project            Boob's Mother            Episode: "Boob Visits His Parents!"

2010    Law & Order: SVU            Brenda Fairchild            Episode: "Bullseye"

2011            Christmas Spirit            Betty            Television film