Samuel E. Wright, the famed voice-over man behind the crab from Disney’s The Little Mermaid, has breathed his last aged 74.
According to media reports, Samuel E. Wright died yesterday at his home in New York due to prostate cancer.
His death was announced on the Facebook page of the town of Montgomery, New York.
The tribute stated: “Sam was an inspiration to us all and along with his family established the Hudson Valley Conservatory. 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.”
Several fellow celebrities and fans poured in sincere condolences after the news of his demise broke out. They also prayed for the departed soul in the tweets which flooded the internet.
Disney marked the actor’s death with a billboard tribute at The Lion King musical’s original New York home.
“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
Original Broadway Cast, Mufasa. pic.twitter.com/MDuQAZJalZ— The Lion King – Musical (@TheLionKing) May 25, 2021
In 1989, the famed celebrity sang the animation’s Oscar-winning song Under The Sea and went on to play Mufasa in the original Broadway production of The Lion King.
Born in Camden in 1946, Wright was part of the original Broadway cast of Jesus Christ Superstar in 1971. Later, he had replaced Ben Vereen in the musical Pippin and received a Tony nomination in 1984 for the musical The Tap Dance Kid.
But he was best known for his vocal portrayal of Sebastian, a role he reprised in The Little Mermaid TV series.
According to his family, Samuel E. Wright died on Monday at his residence after a three-year battle with prostate cancer.
The Hudson Valley Conservatory, which Wright co-founded in Walden in 1994, said he had been its “beloved leader and mentor”.
Read More News On
Catch all the Entertainment News, Breaking News Event and Latest News Updates on The BOL News
Download The BOL News App to get the Daily News Update & Follow us on Google News.