- Samuel E. Wright, known by millions as the voice of Sebastian the crab in "The Little Mermaid" has died. The actor was 74.
- Wright's hometown of Montgomery, New York broke the sad news on Facebook, saying ... "Sam was an inspiration to us all and along with his family established the Hudson Valley Conservatory."
- He died peacefully Monday night at his home in Walden, New York, after a three-year battle with prostate cancer, his daughter Dee told The Hollywood Reporter.
- "He was the brightest light," she said.
- Voicing Sebastian, Sam was responsible for singing 2 of its most popular songs -- both Oscar-nominated -- "Under the Sea" and "Kiss the Girl" ... the former won for Original Song.Sam continued to work with Disney as the voice of Sebastian in "The Little Mermaid" sequels and a TV series, and also lent his voice in the 2000 movie, "Dinosaur."
- Before his voice made him famous, Wright worked for more than a decade as an actor with roles on "Enos," "All My Children" and "The Cosby Show."
- He was also known for his theater work, appearing in the musicals "Jesus Christ Superstar," "Pippin" and played a hand in originating the part of Mufasa for the Tony-award winning "Lion King" musical.
- "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 tribute maintained. "He loved to entertain, he loved to make people smile and laugh and he loved to love."
Melissa Forman in the MorningFull Bio