NOT EXACTLY NEWS – He was the voice that entertained an entire generation with his deep Jamaican style accent in the blockbuster hit Disney film, The Little Mermaid. Samuel Edward Wright, born November 20, 1946 played the beloved little crustacean Sebastian, known mostly for his song, “Under the Sea”. Internet rumors in May of 2021 were abuzz with the report of the beloved voice actor’s death, but did it happen?
Samuel Edward Wright (November 20, 1946 – May 24, 2021) was an American actor and singer. He was best known as the voice of Sebastian in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, for which he provided the lead vocals to “Under the Sea”, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. He played Dizzy Gillespie in the 1988 biographical film about Charlie Parker. Wright also played the part of Mufasa in the original cast of The Lion King on Broadway and voiced Kron the Iguanodon in Disney’s 2000 CGI/live-action film Dinosaur.
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On May 24, 2021, Wright died in his sleep in Walden, New York. Rumors swirled that his death was COVID-19 related, but those rumors are false. Wright died from prostate cancer.
Wright was married to Amanda Wright and the couple had three children, Keely, Dee and Sam.
Besides being a Disney star, Wright was a stage actor through three decades on Broadway with roles in Jesus Christ Superstar, Pippin and the Lion King among others. He had guest appearances on The Cosby Show, and Law and Order. He was also the voice of Kron the Iguanodon on the hit movie “Dinosaur”.
