Victoria Carroll, the 85-year-old actress and founding member of The Groundlings improv company, was recently seen on a rare public outing in Los Angeles.
Born into a showbusiness family, Carroll's career began at an exceptionally young age. She reportedly had her first audition at just 12 days old for a role in Blossoms in the Dust. Her early acting credits include a part as a Magpie in My Fair Lady. She later appeared with Dick Van Dyke in the 1965 comedy The Art of Love and shared the screen with Tom Hanks in the 1985 film The Man with One Red Shoe.
Carroll has also built a substantial television resume, with regular roles on series such as Alice, One Day At A Time, Gimme A Break, and The Incredible Hulk. Her guest appearances span numerous popular shows, including Murder She Wrote, Three's Company, Charlie's Angels, Dynasty, and The Love Boat.
Beyond her acting career, Carroll is also recognized as a respected fine artist. Her work has been featured in publications like American Artist and International Artist magazines, and she has received awards from the Andrew Carnegie Museum’s Classic Competition. She holds membership in the Portrait Society of America, and her art is collected across the United States.
Carroll has spoken about the synergy between acting and visual art, noting on her official site that her experience as an actress has informed her art. She stated that her training to observe people intensely has enabled her to faithfully portray human emotions, finding the recreation of these emotions on canvas not dissimilar to doing so on stage, though with a more silent reception.
Carroll was a founding member of The Groundlings, but she departed in the 1980s to co-found The West End Playhouse with her now-husband, Michael Bell. The couple married in 1984 and have one daughter, Ashley Bell. Together, they have produced original plays and established The Silver Streakers, a seniors improv company, in Los Angeles.