Samuel E. Wright's death - Netizens mourn actor's loss; say, 'He defined our childhood'
As American actor-singer Samuel E. Wright, known for the voice of Sebastian in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, died on May 24, 2021, netizens mourn the loss.
- Entertainment News
- 2 min read
Veteran American actor-singer Samuel E. Wright died on May 24, 2021, at his home in Walden, New York. The town of Montgomery's official Facebook page announced Wright’s death. As soon as the announcement post was shared on the internet, netizens mourned the loss.
Samuel E. Wright's death
Wright had brought life to one of the most loved characters, Sebastian, from the 1989 Disney film The Little Mermaid. Apart from that, he also provided vocals to the film's two songs, Kiss the Girl and Under the Sea. Interestingly, both the songs were nominated for Oscars and Under the Sea bagged the accolade for Best Original Song in 1990.
A handful of netizens recalled these achievements and milestones of the late actor to pay their last respect to him. "I was shocked to hear about Samuel E. Wright", wrote a Twitter user. Meanwhile, another added, "Thank you for being so entertaining and making me laugh in my child and adulthood years".
Samuel Was Part Of My Childhood. I'm Sad That He Has Passed Away. RIP Mr. Wright. I Will Always Remember You As The Amazing Sebastian From The Little Mermaid. 😥🦀#SamuelEWright @thejodibenson @tarastrong https://t.co/7U9FNadKnm
— Osmosis Jones Rules Est 2003 (@jones_est) May 25, 2021
Rest In Peace to the man whose voice literally defined my childhood. I had every single Sebastian cassette tape, I watched every single episode of The Little Mermaid TV Series...
— Jacqueline E. Smith 🌸 (@JackieSmith114) May 25, 2021
This one hurts. I truly feel like I’ve lost someone who helped raise me.#SamuelEWright #RIP pic.twitter.com/NI2g2XU1YX
Gutted to hear of the passing of #SamuelEWright. The voice of Sebastian. Original Mufasa in Brodway's Lion King, and one of the kindest people on the planet. (And, his biggest claim to fame, my short-lived HS drama teacher. My lack of talent is no reflection on his.) pic.twitter.com/yOlNsvOYkU
— BriAnne Copp (@briannecopp) May 25, 2021
Sad news for those including me who loved #TheLittleMermaid the start of the Disney Renaissance. Rest In Peace to our beloved crab 🦀 #SamuelEWright 😭🌹
— Xochilquiahuilt Maracle (@FlowerPhantom) May 25, 2021
An excerpt of a Twitterati's tweet read, "Rest In Peace to the man whose voice literally defined my childhood". Meanwhile, a user self-proclaimed that Samuel's "melodic tones and melodies" will live on. The mention of Samuel's Sebestian was a common sight in fans' condolences messages on the micro-blogging site.
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Just got the sad news on the passing of #SamuelEWright the voice of #Sebastian from #LittleMermaid. His melodic tones and melodies will live on in his work, but he will sorely be missed.#disney #passing #Animation #VoiceActors #crab #underthesea #kissthegirl pic.twitter.com/lBXr7DBkJD
— Michael Cook (@MichaelCook2007) May 25, 2021
my prayers and condolences are with the family, friends, and many whom loved and supported #SamuelEWright. Godspeed. #RIPSamuelEWright 😔💔🙏🏽🙏🏾🙏🏿🕊️ https://t.co/i0BYn2qgkA
— 𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕟𝕥 𝕘𝕠𝕠𝕕 𝕜𝕒𝕣𝕞𝕒 (@saintgoodkarma) May 25, 2021
The Little Mermaid is still my favorite Disney film. One of my favorite things about it was Samuel E. Wright’s amazing performance as the iconic crab Sebastian. You brought so much so much joy in my childhood. Rest In Peace sir. Your work will live on forever. #samuelewright https://t.co/X15ojlc7ts pic.twitter.com/HO2f7kd53R
— GeekMighty (@GeekMighty) May 25, 2021
As mentioned earlier, the news of his death was announced by the official social media handle of his hometown. "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", read an excerpt of the post. Without giving much details of the cause of the death, it added, "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", read an excerpt of the post.
Born in South Carolina, Wright worked extensively on Broadway, including in productions of Jesus Christ Superstar and Pippin. Later, he earned two Tony nominations for his performance; William Sheridan in The Tap Dance Kid (1983) as well as Mufasa in The Lion King (1997).
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IMAGE: ANI NEWS