# Helena Carroll

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Scottish-born U.S. based stage/film and television actress

Not to be confused with [Helen Carroll](/source/Helen_Carroll).

Helena Carroll Helena Carroll Publicity Photo Born Helena Winifred Carroll (1928-11-13)13 November 1928 Glasgow, Scotland, UK Died 31 March 2013(2013-03-31) (aged 84) Los Angeles, California, U.S. Education Notre Dame High School Alma mater Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art Occupation Actress Years active 1950-2013 Father Paul Vincent Carroll

**Helena Winifred Carroll** (13 November 1928 – 31 March 2013) was a Scottish actress of stage, film, and television. She was the daughter of Irish playwright [Paul Vincent Carroll](/source/Paul_Vincent_Carroll).

## Early life and education

Carroll was born in [Glasgow](/source/Glasgow) in 1928. She was the youngest of three daughters born to Irish parents Helena (nee Reilly), a clothing designer, and [Paul Vincent Carroll](/source/Paul_Vincent_Carroll), a famed playwright.[1] Her family was related to [Charles Carroll of Carrollton](/source/Charles_Carroll_of_Carrollton), signer of the [United States Declaration of Independence](/source/Declaration_of_Independence_(United_States)).

Carroll attended Clerkhill [Notre Dame High School](/source/Notre_Dame_High_School_(Glasgow)), a Roman Catholic convent school in [Dumbarton](/source/Dumbarton), Scotland. She received her acting training at the Central School which later became the [Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art](/source/Webber_Douglas_Academy_of_Dramatic_Art) London.

## Career

### Stage

Carroll appeared in three plays in [London's West End](/source/London's_West_End) and a film, *[Midnight Episode](/source/Midnight_Episode)*, by age 20. She made her Broadway debut in *[Separate Tables](/source/Separate_Tables)* by [Terence Rattigan](/source/Terence_Rattigan). She moved to the U.S. during the 1940s, touring and performing on Broadway and co-founded, with Irish actor Dermot McNamara,[2] the Irish Players, a repertory theater company in Manhattan specializing in works by Irish playwrights.[3][4]

Helena split her stage work between Dublin, London and New York,[5] appearing on Broadway in, among other productions the original production of *[Oliver!](/source/Oliver!)* as Mrs. Sowerberry, as well as *[Pickwick](/source/Pickwick_(musical))*, *[Design for Living](/source/Design_for_Living)*, *[Waiting in the Wings](/source/Waiting_in_the_Wings_(play))*, and the [Elizabeth Taylor](/source/Elizabeth_Taylor)-[Richard Burton](/source/Richard_Burton) revival of *[Private Lives](/source/Private_Lives)* (New York and Los Angeles).[6] Her last stage performance was in 2007 at the age of 78.

### Film and television

Carroll played the leading role of Nora, in a television production of her father's play, *[The White Steed](/source/The_White_Steed)* (1959 Play of the Week Series), directed by [Joe Gisterak](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joe_Gisterak&action=edit&redlink=1). Gisterak directed a 1980 commissioned opera of her father's play, *Beauty is Fled*, as part of the "Children's Opera Series", which her sister, Theresa Perez founded. The opera was performed at the [Phoenix Symphony Hall](/source/Phoenix_Symphony_Hall).

Prompted by producer Al Simon and casting director Caro Jones, Carroll moved to Los Angeles in the late 1960s and appeared in numerous films and television programs, including the lively Aunt Kate in [John Huston](/source/John_Huston)'s [Academy Award](/source/Academy_Award)-nominated film *[The Dead](/source/The_Dead_(1987_film))*, based on [the short story](/source/The_Dead_(Joyce_short_story)) by [James Joyce](/source/James_Joyce). Other works in Hollywood included *[The Friends of Eddie Coyle](/source/The_Friends_of_Eddie_Coyle)* starring [Robert Mitchum](/source/Robert_Mitchum), *[The Jerk](/source/The_Jerk_(film))*, directed by [Carl Reiner](/source/Carl_Reiner) and starring [Steve Martin](/source/Steve_Martin), *[The Mambo Kings](/source/The_Mambo_Kings)*, the [Warren Beatty](/source/Warren_Beatty) remake of *[Love Affair](/source/Love_Affair_(1994_film))*, the 1979 [NBC](/source/NBC) mini-series *[Backstairs at the White House](/source/Backstairs_at_the_White_House)*,[7] and such television programs as *[Kojak](/source/Kojak)*, *[General Hospital](/source/General_Hospital)*, *[The Edge of Night](/source/The_Edge_of_Night)*, *[Loving Couples](/source/Loving_Couples_(1980_film))*, *[Laverne and Shirley](/source/Laverne_and_Shirley)*, *[Murder She Wrote](/source/Murder_She_Wrote)*, *[WKRP in Cincinnati](/source/WKRP_in_Cincinnati)*and *[Married... with Children](/source/Married..._with_Children)*.[8]

## Personal life

Carroll was the youngest of three sisters; her elder sisters were Theresa Elizabeth Perez (1924–2001), a classically trained musician and the producer/founder of the *People's Pops Concerts* in [Phoenix, Arizona](/source/Phoenix%2C_Arizona), and journalist Kathleen Moira Carroll (1927–2007).[9]

### Death

A longtime resident of Los Angeles, Carroll died in [Marina del Rey, California](/source/Marina_del_Rey%2C_California) from heart failure on 31 March 2013 at the age of 84. She is survived by half brother, Brian Carroll; niece Helena Perez, nephew Paul Vincent Perez; and a great-nephew, Paul Vincent Reilly.[10]

## Filmography

Year Title Role Notes 1950 Midnight Episode Nurse 1973 The Friends of Eddie Coyle Sheila Coyle 1979 The Jerk Hester 1980 Loving Couples Prudence 1981 Ghost Story Mrs. Meredith 1982 The Clairvoyant Bag Lady 1986 Bad Guys Elsie 1987 The Dead Aunt Kate 1989 Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat Madge 1990 Rocky V Woman Drinker 1992 The Mambo Kings Mrs. Shannon 1992 The Man Upstairs Molly 1994 Love Affair Dorothy

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** "Obituary Notices: Carroll, Helena Winifred". *[The Los Angeles Times](/source/The_Los_Angeles_Times)*. 5 April 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Irish actor dies in New York"](https://www.irishtimes.com/news/irish-actor-dies-in-new-york-1.21290). *The Irish Times*. Retrieved 24 September 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Bolton, Whitney (9 October 1958). "Best of Broadway". *[The Philadelphia Inquirer](/source/The_Philadelphia_Inquirer)*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Fox, Margalit (11 April 2013). ["Obituary for Helena Carroll"](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/11/movies/helena-carroll-actress-and-irish-players-co-founder-dies-at-84.html?ref=obituaries). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Lebherz, Richard. “People in Profile: Helena Carroll.” *The News*, 14 October 1970

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [Helena Carroll's IBDb profile](http://www.ibdb.com/person.php?id=73575); accessed 13 April 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** O’Haire, Pat (26 May 1978). "Check 'em at the door". *[The New York Daily News](/source/The_New_York_Daily_News)*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** [Helena Carroll's IMDb profile](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0140833); accessed 13 April 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** "Death Notices: Carroll, Kathleen M.". *[The New York Daily News](/source/The_New_York_Daily_News)*. 17 January 2007.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** [Obituary for Helena Carroll in *Variety*](https://variety.com/2013/legit/people-news/obituaries-people-news/irish-thesp-helena-carroll-dies-at-84-1200332626); accessed 13 April 2014.

## External links

- [Helena Carroll](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0140833/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier))

- [Helena Carroll](https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/107855496) at [Find a Grave](/source/Find_a_Grave)

Authority control databases International ISNI 2 VIAF GND National United States France BnF data Israel People Deutsche Biographie Other IdRef Yale LUX

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Helena Carroll](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helena_Carroll) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helena_Carroll?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.