Samuel E. Wright

Samuel Ernest Wright (November 20, 1946 – May 24, 2021) was an American actor. 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 Bird, the 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 the 2000 CGI/live-action film Dinosaur.

Early life Wright was born on November 20, 1946, in Camden, South Carolina. He was a student at Camden High School, where he was involved with sports and the arts.

Career In 1968, Wright moved to New York City to pursue his acting career full time. (1974). In addition, on Broadway, Wright replaced Ben Vereen as the Leading Player in Pippin

He originated the role of Mayor Joe Clark in Mule Bone (1991). He was nominated for a Tony Award again in 1998 for Best Featured Actor in a Musical as the original lead actor for Mufasa in The Lion King, the Broadway version of Disney's animated classic of the same name.

Music and voice-over work Wright narrated the 1988 documentary film Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser, produced by Clint Eastwood.

Wright performed and recorded several songs for the Walt Disney Pictures animated film The Little Mermaid, as Sebastian the Crab, Wright also voiced Kron, the leader of the Iguanadon herd, Dinosaur, another Disney animated film.

Personal life and death Wright met his wife Amanda Wright, a dance director, at a production of William Shakespeare's The Two Gentlemen of Verona in London's West End.

Wright died from prostate cancer at his home in Walden, New York, on May 24, 2021, aged 74. The cancer had been diagnosed three years earlier.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1988 Bird Dizzy Gillespie Me and Him Paramedic #1 1989 The Little MermaidSebastian (voice) 2000 Dinosaur Kron (voice) 1980–1981 Enos Officer Turk Adams 18 episodes 1992–1994 The Little Mermaid 31 episodes 1993 Alex Haley's Queen Alfred 2 episodes Marsupilami Sebastian (voice) 8 episodes 1994–2000 Law & Order Jerome Osborn, Dubois, and Morris Stokely 3 episodes 2001–2002 House of Mouse Sebastian (voice) 6 episodes 1997 Ariel's Story Studio 1974 Over Here! Sam The Lion King Mufasa Broadway

Discography Sebastian from The Little Mermaid (1990) Sebastian: Party Gras! (1991) The Little Mermaid: Songs from the Sea (1992)