The Actor Who Voiced Sebastian In ‘The Little Mermaid’ Has Died

Red Jamaican crab, Sebastian might have served under King Triton as an advisor composer, but for kids of the 90s, he did so much more. Regularly overwhelmed by the task of spying on and watching over Triton’s daughter Princess Ariel, Sebastian gave us loads of laughs and, frequently, a bit of a rebellion streak of our own. So, of course, it’s sad and hard to say goodbye to such a sweet and hardworking character.

This week fans of The Little Mermaid are saying so long to two-time Tony Award nominee Samuel E. Wright, the voice behind Sebastian.

Samuel E. Wright, the actor who starred in the 1989 Disney film, passed away this week at 74.

Wright’s daughter Dee confirmed the news of her father’s death to The Hollywood Reporter on Monday. According to Dee, Wright passed away in his sleep after battling prostate cancer for three years.

“We are saddened by the passing of Samuel E. Wright, who voiced Sebastian in The Little Mermaid,” Disney’s official Twitter page stated in a tweet about his death. “His iconic performance as Sebastian will always be remembered for the charm and heart Wright brought to every line and lyric.”

Wight also played the original role of Mufasa in Broadway’s “The Lion King.

For his role in the original cast, Wright was nominated for Best Featured Actor at the Tony Awards in 1998. Broadway The Lion King’s official social media page honored Wright in a post quoting Wright’s Mufasa character writing, “Look at the stars. The great kings of the past look down on us from those stars.”