Samuel E. Wright, the actor who famously loaned his voice to Sebastian the crab in "The Little Mermaid," has died at 74.
Wright had been fighting prostate cancer for three years when he died on Monday at his home in Walden, New York, his daughter confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.
"He was the brightest light," she said.
His death was also announced by the town of Montgomery, New York.
"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," the town wrote in a Facebook post. "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."
Born in Camden, South Carolina, in 1946, Wright began his acting career in 1971, when he made his Broadway debut in "Jesus Christ Superstar." The following year he appeared in a production of "Pippin," as Ben Vereen's replacement. While those performances gained him attention, Wright's career soared in 1989, when he was cast as Sebastian in "The Little Mermaid," and sang the film's Oscar-winning song "Under the Sea." As a result, he landed a four-record deal with Disney.
"Sebastian has given me what I’ve always wanted as an actor," Wright told Entertainment Weekly in 1991, "and that’s immortality. I know a lot of actors are ashamed to say that, but as far as I’m concerned, that’s why I’m in the business. I want the whole world to love me, remember me forever. Otherwise I wouldn’t be doing this. This is my mark."
Wright earned a Tony nomination in 1984 for his performance in the musical, "The Tap Dance Kid." Years later, in 1998, he earned a second nomination for his portrayal as Mufasa in the Broadway production of "The Lion King," which was a stage performance of the hit Disney film.
In addition to acting, Wright was also active in his community, where he set up a performing arts school, the Hudson Valley Conservatory, which has established the Samuel E. Wright Scholarship Fund in his honor.
"This fund will be used to support the children, school, and community of young artists he created at the Hudson Valley Conservatory," the Hudson Valley Conservatory noted in a Facebook post.
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