Samuel E. Wright, The Little Mermaid's Sebastian voice actor dies at 74

Samuel E. Wright, who was the voice behind Ariel’s trusty crab chaperone Sebastian in The Little Mermaid, passed away at 74.

News of the two-time Tony Award nominee‘s death was shared by the town of Montgomery, New York, where he lived with his family, in a Facebook post.

"Today, the Town of Montgomery mourns the loss of Sam Wright," the post read.

"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," the tribute continued. 

"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."

Samuel sang Sebastian's iconic songs Under the Sea, which bagged Academy Awards for Best Original Song and Best Original Score, and Kiss the Girl which which was also nominated for Best Original Song.