Janet Carroll (24 December 1940 – 22 May 2012) was an American movie and theater actress. She acted in many movies, including Talent for the Game (1991), Forces of Nature (1999) and Destiny Turns on the Radio (1995). She also did several TV acts, including Murphy Brown. She is perhaps best remembered as the mother of Joel (Tom Cruise) in the 1983 film Risky Business.
Carroll was born in Chicago. She died from brain cancer at age 71, in New York City.