Samuel E. Wright: Difference between revisions
Red Director (talk | contribs) m Adding local short description: "American actor and singer", overriding Wikidata description "American actor and singer" (Shortdesc helper) |
Changed description of Dizzy Gillespie -- he's a trumpet player, not a vocalist |
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In 1968, Wright moved to [[New York City]] to pursue his acting career full time.<ref name = NYT/> Wright was nominated for a [[Tony Award]] in 1984 for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance in ''[[The Tap Dance Kid]]'' and again in 1998 for Best Featured Actor in a Musical as the original lead actor for Mufasa in ''[[The Lion King (musical)|The Lion King]]'', the [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] version of Disney's [[The Lion King|animated classic of the same name]].<ref name=NYT/> Wright was chosen to play the Scarecrow in the 1995 [[Apollo Theater]] Revival of ''[[The Wiz]]'' alongside [[Whitney Houston]], [[Keith David]], and [[Cedric the Entertainer]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dick |first1=Jeremy |url=https://movieweb.com/samuel-e-wright-dead-the-little-mermaid/ |title=Samuel E. Wright Dies, Voice of Sebastian in 'The Little Mermaid' Was 74 |access-date=June 1, 2021 |work=Movieweb |date=May 25, 2021}}</ref> Wright originated the part of "Sam" in ''[[Over Here!]]'' on Broadway<ref name="playbill news">{{cite news |last1=Meyer |first1=Dan |url=https://www.playbill.com/article/tony-nominee-samuel-e-wright-dies-at-74 |title=Tony Nominee Samuel E. Wright Dies at 74 |access-date=June 1, 2021 |work=Playbill |date=May 26, 2021 |language=en}}</ref> (1974). In addition, on Broadway, Wright replaced [[Ben Vereen]] as the Leading Player in ''[[Pippin]]''<ref name = THR/> (1972). He originated the role of Mayor Joe Clark in ''[[Mule Bone]]'' (1991).<ref name="play">{{cite web |title=Samuel E. Wright |url=https://www.playbill.com/person/samuel-e-wright-vault-0000070092 |website=[[Playbill]] |access-date=June 1, 2021 |language=en}}</ref> |
In 1968, Wright moved to [[New York City]] to pursue his acting career full time.<ref name = NYT/> Wright was nominated for a [[Tony Award]] in 1984 for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance in ''[[The Tap Dance Kid]]'' and again in 1998 for Best Featured Actor in a Musical as the original lead actor for Mufasa in ''[[The Lion King (musical)|The Lion King]]'', the [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] version of Disney's [[The Lion King|animated classic of the same name]].<ref name=NYT/> Wright was chosen to play the Scarecrow in the 1995 [[Apollo Theater]] Revival of ''[[The Wiz]]'' alongside [[Whitney Houston]], [[Keith David]], and [[Cedric the Entertainer]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dick |first1=Jeremy |url=https://movieweb.com/samuel-e-wright-dead-the-little-mermaid/ |title=Samuel E. Wright Dies, Voice of Sebastian in 'The Little Mermaid' Was 74 |access-date=June 1, 2021 |work=Movieweb |date=May 25, 2021}}</ref> Wright originated the part of "Sam" in ''[[Over Here!]]'' on Broadway<ref name="playbill news">{{cite news |last1=Meyer |first1=Dan |url=https://www.playbill.com/article/tony-nominee-samuel-e-wright-dies-at-74 |title=Tony Nominee Samuel E. Wright Dies at 74 |access-date=June 1, 2021 |work=Playbill |date=May 26, 2021 |language=en}}</ref> (1974). In addition, on Broadway, Wright replaced [[Ben Vereen]] as the Leading Player in ''[[Pippin]]''<ref name = THR/> (1972). He originated the role of Mayor Joe Clark in ''[[Mule Bone]]'' (1991).<ref name="play">{{cite web |title=Samuel E. Wright |url=https://www.playbill.com/person/samuel-e-wright-vault-0000070092 |website=[[Playbill]] |access-date=June 1, 2021 |language=en}}</ref> |
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Wright played Enos' partner Officer Turk Adams in the TV series ''[[Enos (TV series)|Enos]]'', the ''[[Dukes of Hazzard]]'' spin-off<ref name="d"/> and portrayed jazz |
Wright played Enos' partner Officer Turk Adams in the TV series ''[[Enos (TV series)|Enos]]'', the ''[[Dukes of Hazzard]]'' spin-off<ref name="d"/> and portrayed jazz trumpeter and composer [[Dizzy Gillespie]] in [[Clint Eastwood]] film ''[[Bird (1988 film)|Bird]]''.<ref name="bbc">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-57252369 |title=Samuel E Wright: Tributes paid to actor who voiced crab in The Little Mermaid |access-date=June 1, 2021 |work=BBC News |date=May 26, 2021}}</ref> He also played the part of Jericho on the short-lived [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] television program ''[[Jonny Zero]]''.<ref name="d">{{cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2021/05/samuel-e-wright-dead-obituary-the-little-mermaid-sebastian-the-crab-broadway-mufasa-was-74-1234764019/|title=Samuel E. Wright Dies: 'The Little Mermaid's Sebastian The Crab, Broadway's Mufasa Was 74|first=Greg|last= Evans|date=May 25, 2021|work=[[Deadline.com]]}}</ref> |
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===Music and voice-over work=== |
===Music and voice-over work=== |
Revision as of 01:57, 21 August 2021
Samuel E. Wright | |
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![]() Wright in 2008 | |
Born | Samuel Edward Wright November 20, 1946 Camden, South Carolina, U.S. |
Died | May 24, 2021 Walden, New York, U.S. | (aged 74)
Occupation(s) | Actor, singer |
Years active | 1968–2008 |
Spouse |
Amanda Wright (m. 1974) |
Children | 3 |
Samuel Edward Wright (November 20, 1946[1] – May 24, 2021) was an American actor and singer. He was best known as the voice of Sebastian in Disney's The Little Mermaid, for which he provided the lead vocals to "Under the Sea",[2] which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. He played Dizzy Gillespie in Bird, the biographical film about Charlie Parker. Wright also played the part of Mufasa in the original cast of The Lion King on Broadway and voiced Kron the Iguanodon in Disney's 2000 CGI/live-action film Dinosaur.
Early life
Wright was born on November 20, 1946 in Camden, South Carolina.[1][3]
Wright was a student at Camden High School, where he was involved with sports and the arts.[4]
Career
In 1968, Wright moved to New York City to pursue his acting career full time.[3] Wright was nominated for a Tony Award in 1984 for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance in The Tap Dance Kid and again in 1998 for Best Featured Actor in a Musical as the original lead actor for Mufasa in The Lion King, the Broadway version of Disney's animated classic of the same name.[3] Wright was chosen to play the Scarecrow in the 1995 Apollo Theater Revival of The Wiz alongside Whitney Houston, Keith David, and Cedric the Entertainer.[5] Wright originated the part of "Sam" in Over Here! on Broadway[6] (1974). In addition, on Broadway, Wright replaced Ben Vereen as the Leading Player in Pippin[1] (1972). He originated the role of Mayor Joe Clark in Mule Bone (1991).[7]
Wright played Enos' partner Officer Turk Adams in the TV series Enos, the Dukes of Hazzard spin-off[8] and portrayed jazz trumpeter and composer Dizzy Gillespie in Clint Eastwood film Bird.[9] He also played the part of Jericho on the short-lived Fox television program Jonny Zero.[8]
Music and voice-over work
Wright performed and recorded several songs for the Walt Disney animated film The Little Mermaid, as Sebastian the Crab,[10] and is widely known for the songs "Under the Sea", and "Kiss the Girl". He voiced Sebastian in The Little Mermaid's sequels and spin-offs, including The Little Mermaid 2 and The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning, and recorded several albums in reggae style, among them — Party Gras!.[11] Wright also voiced Kron, the leader of the Iguanadon herd, in another Disney animation Dinosaur.[8]
He released a soul music single in 1973, "There's Something Funny Going On" backed with "Three Hundred Pounds of Hungry" on the Paramount Records label.[12]
Personal life
Wright met his wife Amanda Wright, a dance director, at a production of Two Gentlemen of Verona in London's West End.[3] They married on June 14, 1974.[4] Together they had three children: Keely, Dee, and Sam.[10][13]
Death
Wright died from prostate cancer at his home in Walden, New York, on May 24, 2021.[14]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1988 | Bird | Dizzy Gillespie | [15] | |
Me and Him | Paramedic #1 | |||
1989 | The Little Mermaid | Sebastian (voice) | [8] | |
1991 | Sebastian's Caribbean Jamboree | Direct-to-video | [8] | |
1993 | Strapped | Dave | [16] | |
2000 | Dinosaur | Kron the Iguanodon (voice) | [15] | |
The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea | Sebastian (voice) | Direct-to-video | [15] | |
2008 | The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning | Direct-to-video; Final role | [15] |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1976 | Ball Four | C. B. Travis | 5 episodes | [1] |
1979 | Hollow Image | Scotty | Television film | [17] |
1980–1981 | Enos | Officer Turk Adams | 18 episodes | [8] |
1982 | The Neighborhood | Moving Man | Television film | [17] |
1985 | Brass | Captain Michael Shore | Television film | [17] |
1986 | The Gift of Amazing Grace | Morris | Episode: "The Gift of Amazing Grace" | [17] |
The Cosby Show | Dr. Dan Morgan | Episode: "Close to Home" | [1] | |
1991 | Separate but Equal | Artis Patterson | TV mini-series | [17] |
1992–1994 | The Little Mermaid | Sebastian (voice) | 31 episodes | [9][8] |
1992 | Raw Toonage | Episode: "Draining Cats and Dogs/Mars vs. Man" | [18] | |
1993 | Alex Haley's Queen | Alfred | 2 episodes | [19] |
Marsupilami | Sebastian (voice) | 8 episodes | [20] | |
1994–2000 | Law & Order | Jerome Osborn, Dubois, and Morris Stokely | 3 episodes | [16] |
1997 | New York Undercover | Gil Jefferson | episode Fade Out | [21] |
2001–2002 | Disney's House of Mouse | Sebastian (voice) | 6 episodes | [22] |
2003 | Mickeypalooza | Television special | [23] |
Video games
Year | Title | Role | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|
1992 | Ariel the Little Mermaid | Sebastian | [22] |
1997 | Ariel's Story Studio | [20] | |
1999 | Disney's Arcade Frenzy | [20] | |
2000 | The Little Mermaid II: The Video Game | [20] |
Theatre
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1971 | Jesus Christ Superstar | Reporter, Leper, Apostle | Broadway | |
1971, 1973 | Two Gentlemen of Verona | Valentine, Performer | Broadway, West End | [24][7] |
1972 | Pippin | Leading player | Broadway | [23] |
1974 | Over Here! | Sam | Broadway | [6][7] |
1983 | The Tap Dance Kid | William Sheridan | Broadway | [9][6] |
1989 | Welcome to the Club | Bruce Aiken | Broadway | [24] |
1991 | Mule Bone | Mayor Joe Clark | Broadway | [7] |
1997 | Promises, Promises | Mr. Kirkeby | Off-Broadway | [24] |
The Lion King | Mufasa | Broadway | [9] |
Discography
References
- ^ a b c d e Barnes, Mike (May 25, 2021). "Samuel E. Wright, Voice of Sebastian the Crab in 'The Little Mermaid,' Dies at 74". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
- ^ Victorian, Brande (October 10, 2013). "'What More Is You Looking For?' Meet Samuel E. Wright, The Voice Of Sebastian On 'The Little Mermaid'". Madame Noire. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
- ^ a b c d Morales, Christina (May 26, 2021). "Samuel E. Wright, the Voice of Sebastian in 'The Little Mermaid,' Dies at 72". The New York Times. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
- ^ a b "Samuel Wright Obituary (1946 - 2021) - Walden, NY - Times Herald-Record". www.legacy.com. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
- ^ Dick, Jeremy (May 25, 2021). "Samuel E. Wright Dies, Voice of Sebastian in 'The Little Mermaid' Was 74". Movieweb. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
- ^ a b c Meyer, Dan (May 26, 2021). "Tony Nominee Samuel E. Wright Dies at 74". Playbill. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Samuel E. Wright". Playbill. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g Evans, Greg (May 25, 2021). "Samuel E. Wright Dies: 'The Little Mermaid's Sebastian The Crab, Broadway's Mufasa Was 74". Deadline.com.
- ^ a b c d "Samuel E Wright: Tributes paid to actor who voiced crab in The Little Mermaid". BBC News. May 26, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
- ^ a b Granville, Kari (December 23, 1989). "Without Him, Sebastian Would Be Speechless". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
- ^ Lenker, Maureen Lee (May 25, 2021). "Samuel E. Wright, voice of Sebastian the Crab in 'The Little Mermaid,' dies at 74". EW.com. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
- ^ "Samuel E. Wright – There's Something Funny Going On (1973, Vinyl)". Discog.com. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
- ^ Heffley, Lynne (November 16, 1991). "As a Crab or 'Bird,' Wright Gives 100%. - LATimes.com". latimes.com. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
- ^ Sinha, Charu (May 25, 2021). "Samuel E. Wright, Voice of The Little Mermaid's Sebastian, Dead at 74". Vulture. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
- ^ a b c d ADAM HOLMES (May 25, 2021). "Samuel Wright, Voice Of The Little Mermaid's Sebastian, Is Dead At 74". CinemaBlend.
- ^ a b Daniel Welsh. "Samuel E Wright, The Little Mermaid Star, Has Died Aged 74". huffingtonpost.
- ^ a b c d e Samuel E Wright
- ^ "Raw Toonage". TV.com.
- ^ "Alex Haley's Queen". TV.com.
- ^ a b c d "Sebastian Voices (Little Mermaid)". Behind The Voice Actors.
- ^ FADE OUT NEW YORK UNDERCOVER SEASON 3
- ^ a b Vanessa Armstrong. "SAMUEL E. WRIGHT, VOICE OF SEBASTIAN IN THE LITTLE MERMAID, DIES AT 74".
- ^ a b Glenn Garner. "Samuel E. Wright, Known as the Voice of Sebastian in The Little Mermaid, Dead at 74". people.com. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Nominees for Best Featured Actor in a Musical". Playbill. June 4, 1998.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/34px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png)
- Samuel E. Wright at IMDb
- Samuel E. Wright at AllMusic
- Samuel E. Wright discography at Discogs
- 1946 births
- 2021 deaths
- 20th-century American male actors
- 20th-century American singers
- 20th-century male singers
- African-American male actors
- African-American singers
- American male film actors
- American male musical theatre actors
- American male singers
- American male television actors
- American male voice actors
- Deaths from cancer in New York (state)
- Deaths from prostate cancer
- Male actors from South Carolina
- People from Camden, South Carolina
- People from Walden, New York