The Little Mermaid star Samuel E. Wright (voice of Sebastian) has died at 74

Samuel E. Wright, the actor who famously voiced the role of Sebastian the crab in Disney’s animated classic The Little Mermaid has died at 74.

According to TMZ, the sad news was surprisingly delivered via the Facebook page of Wright’s hometown in Montgomery, New York. No cause of death was disclosed.

“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,” the post reads in part. “He loved to entertain, he loved to make people smile and laugh and he loved to love.”

Sebastian may play a supporting role in The Little Mermaid, but his songs are some of the most memorable in any Disney film. Wright sang two songs for the film, “Kiss the Girl” and “Under the Sea,” the latter of which won an Oscar for Best Original Song in 1990.

Before landing the role as the famous Caribbean crab, Wright worked in the theatre and starred in TV shows including All My Children and The Cosby Show.

Revisit Wright’s two classic tracks from The Little Mermaid below. You can find our review of the recent 4K UHD release of the film here.