R.I.P. Samuel E. Wright (1946-2021)

Actor Samuel E. Wright has died at the age of 74. While he was best known for providing the voice to Sebastian in the 1989 Disney animated classic, The Little Mermaid, he also had 8 Broadway credits to his name. Which included Jesus Christ Superstar, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Pippin, Over Here!, Welcome to the Club, and Mule Bone. His two other performances on the Great White Way also earned him Tony Award nominations for his work. First, in 1984 for The Tap Dance Kid. Then, in 1998 for his final Broadway appearance, which was ironically in a Disney title when he originated the role of Mufasa in the stage adaptation of The Lion King.
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Updated On: 5/25/21 at 04:09 PM

His performance in "The Little Mermaid" was great. He is perfection.

Updated On: 5/26/21 at 08:49 PM

His iconic performance as Sebastian is indelible and unforgettable of course, but my personal favorite performance of his was as the original Mufasa for which he received a Tony nomination; I particularly find his performance of the song He Lives in You extremely moving.