Samuel E. Wright, voice of Sebastian in The Little Mermaid, has died
NEW YORK (KION) Samuel E. Wright who played Sebastian in the original 1989 Little Mermaid died at his home yesterday in New York.
A Facebook page for the Town of Montgomery posted a tribute on their page with a photo of Wright with the Town Supervisor and his brother in the early 1990's.
"Sam was an inspiration to us all and along with his family established the Hudson Valley Conservatory," the post said. "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 ran his own drama school at the Hudson Valley Conservatory which is honoring him with a scholarship fund for aspiring young artists.
He was also nominated twice for Broadway's Tony Award for Best Actor (Featured Role -Musical) in 1984 for William in "The Tap Dance Kid" and in 1998 for Mufasa in "The Lion King."
The Lion King the Musical also paid their respects by tweeting one of his quotes.
“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
— The Lion King - Musical (@TheLionKing) May 25, 2021
Original Broadway Cast, Mufasa. pic.twitter.com/MDuQAZJalZ
