Janet Carroll (December 24, 1940 – May 22, 2012) was an American film, stage and television character actress.
Carroll's career spanned more than four decades and included major and supporting roles in Broadway musicals, television and Hollywood films. She is perhaps best-known for her portrayal of the oblivious mother of Joel (Tom Cruise) in the 1983 film Risky Business.
Early life
Carroll received formal theatrical training and began acting professionally in the late 1960s, appearing in numerous productions in local theaters. She then became a regular at Starlight Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri, where she acted during five seasons.[citation needed]
She began classical training at age 12 with Greta Allum in Chicago. Over the years she continued building and expanding her voice and repertoire in formal study with Douglas Susu-Mago. With a fluent 3½-octave vocal range, she was able to sing everything from opera to jazz and Broadway style to gospel music and Dixieland genre.[1]
Carroll sang as a first soprano with the Canterbury Choral Society at Carnegie Hall and other venues across New York City.[1][2]
After twelve years of formal training Janet Carroll was ordained and licensed at the West Los Angeles' Church of Inner Light.[6] An active participant in social issues, Carroll was a longstanding member of the Screen Actor's Guild and American Federation of Radio Artists and Actors Equity Association. She also served as the Artistic Director of The Jazz Series at Simi Valley's Cultural Arts Center. She was a V.P. on the executive board of directors of the Society of Singers and founder and co-chair of the Victory Ball in Westport, Connecticut.[5]
In 1992, Carroll collaborated as a singer on the album This Joint Is Jumpin' Live! – Beverly Hills Unlisted Jazz Band, a recording project led by dixielandtrombonist and actor Conrad Janis.[7] She later released her solo albums Presenting... Janet Carroll and the Hollywood Jazz Cats (1992),[8]I Can't Give You Anything But Love (2000),[8][9]I'll Be Seeing You (2000)[8][10] and Lady Be Good (2010).[11]
By 2011, she was preparing the production of her fourth and fifth records titled A Tribute to the Great Ladies of Song! and Scorch Your Shorts Torch Songs!. She was diagnosed with brain cancer later that year and took a leave of absence. She underwent surgery and chemotherapy without success.[6]
She had two sons, George and Tom Brown. Tom predeceased her in 1978.[6][12]
Death
Carroll died on May 22, 2012, from brain cancer at her home in Manhattan, aged 71.[6]