Samuel E. Wright provided the original English voice of Sebastian in Disney’s 1989 The Little Mermaid.
Wright voiced and sang for Sebastian, the crab who serves as King Triton’s adviser and court composer. His performance is central to the film’s music, especially “Under the Sea,” which became one of Disney animation’s best-known songs. Wright’s expressive delivery helped make Sebastian both a comic character and an important guide for Ariel.
Before and alongside his voice work, Wright had a substantial stage career. He was a Tony Award-nominated actor and performed in Broadway productions. His Disney credits also included the 1990 sequel The Rescuers Down Under, in which he voiced another character.
Sebastian is sometimes incorrectly associated with Buddy Hackett, who voiced Scuttle, or Jason Marin, who voiced Flounder. In the original 1989 English cast, Sebastian’s voice belongs to Samuel E. Wright.