Disney fans pay tribute as Little Mermaid star Samuel E Wright dies, aged 74
The actor voiced Sebastian the crab and sang the Oscar-winning hit Under The Sea.
Samuel E Wright, the actor who voiced Sebastian in The Little Mermaid, has passed away aged 74.
Wright, who was also a two-time Tony Award nominee, had been suffering from prostate cancer and died peacefully at home, according to his daughter Dee.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, she described her father as "the brightest light."
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Among Wright's other screen credits were the role of jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie in Clint Eastwood's 1988 film Bird and the voice of Kron the Iguanodon in Disney's Dinosaur, while he also originated the role of Mufasa in the Broadway version of The Lion King.
But it is the role of Sebastian for which he will be most fondly remembered – he voiced the crab in three films and 31 episodes of the spin-off show, as well as singing the iconic Oscar-winning hit Under The Sea.
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Disney fans the world over have taken to social media to pay their tributes to Wright, with one writing, "Thank you for showing us that life is the bubbles under the sea. We will dearly miss you, Sam."
Another Twitter user wrote, "RIP Samuel E. Wright. Part of the reason why I love The Little Mermaid so much is due to its soundtrack and Wright gifted us with two of the best Disney songs ever (Under The Sea & Kiss The Girl) while voicing Sebastian."
And a third added, "My life wouldn’t be the same without your talent. You’re going to be missed so so much."
One fan wrote, "Very sad to learn of the passing of theatre veteran & voice actor Samuel E. Wright, who gave life to Mufasa on Broadway & Sebastian in The Little Mermaid. Hope he's named a Disney Legend soon. It's overdue."
Meanwhile, the official Twitter account for The Lion King paid tribute with a quote from the musical, writing, "'Look at the stars. The great kings of the past look down on us from those stars.' Rest In Peace, Samuel E. Wright | 1946 – 2021."
Wright is survived by Amanda, his wife of almost 50 years, and their three children, Keely, Dee and Sam.
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Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
