Broadway actor Samuel E. Wright, best known for his portrayal of Sebastian the crab in Disney’s 1989 adaption of The Little Mermaid, has died. He was 74.
Samuel E. Wright passed away at his home in Walden, New York following a battle with prostate cancer. His death was confirmed in a Facebook post from the page of the town of Montgomery, New York.
“Sam was an inspiration to us all and along with his family established the Hudson Valley Conservatory,” the tribute sreads. “Sam and his family have impacted countless Hudson Valley youth always inspiring them to reach higher and dig deeper to become the best version of themselves.
“On top of his passion for the arts and his love for his family, Sam was most known for walking into a room and simply providing PURE JOY to those he interacted with. He loved to entertain, he loved to make people smile and laugh and he loved to love.”
Wright brought Sebastian to life in several The Little Mermaid spin-offs including the 1992-94 TV series, Sebastian’s Caribbean Jamboree (1991), Disney’s The Little Mermaid 2 (2000), House of Mouse (2001) and The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning (2008).
He also voiced the villainous Kron in Disney’s live-action/computer-animated 2000 film Dinosaur.
In addition to his work on film, Wright carved out an illustrious career on Broadway, one that would earn him two Tony nominations. His roster of Broadway credits began in the 70s, with roles in Jesus Christ Superstar and Pippin.
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In the 1990s, Wright appeared in productions of Over Here!, The Tap Dance Kid (of which he scored his first Tony Award nomination), Welcome to the Club and Mule Bone. Wright earned his second Tony nomination for his role of Mufasa in the 1997 Broadway production of The Lion King.
