Samuel E. Wright, whose success on the Disney Stage fostered a desire to promote the arts in his own community has died. He was 74.

Wright, his wife Amanda and their children were active in the arts community in the Walden area, establishing the Hudson Valley Conservatory in 1984.

“Today our Village mourns the passing of our local legend, an inspiration to young and old,” read a post on the Village of Walden Facebook Page. “ Samuel E. Wright brought his vision to our community many years ago and changed so many hearts and minds. His passion for the arts was influential in starting the Hudson Valley Conservatory here in Walden, along with several members of his family. You can see that passion in each of them, as they continue his legacy, and in everyone that he met; it was infectious. He always tried to be a positive influence on the children of our community, even giving a speech at the local DARE graduation. He believed in our community. I am not sure if we embraced him as much as he embraced all of us, he set the bar pretty high. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. We can only hope that we can all emulate his actions and help influence future generations to appreciate the arts, nature, and our community as much as Sam did . Until we see you again on that grand stage in the sky, RIP Sam... Walden will miss you...”

A native of Camden, SC, he began performing in local theatre, being coming the first Black performer in the Camden players. He later attended South Carolina State College in Orangeburgh, SC, performing in theatre productions there. On a dare from a college roommate, he boarded a bus to New York City and began his search for theatre roles.

His big break came in 1989, when he was chosen to be the voice of Sebastian in the 1989 Disney animated film, The Little Mermaid.

The beloved Disney character was originally supposed to be a turtle, Wright told Palmetto Weekend. When he auditioned for the role and sang Under the Sea, by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, he asked to speed up the tempo to make it more of a calypso song.

Wright gave Sebastian a Trinidadian accent, inspired by two college roommates who were from Trinidad.

Wright landed the role and Sebastian was transformed into a crab, originally modelled to look like the actor Geoffrey Holder, famous as a James Bond villain and star of the 7-Up “uncola” commercials. At a production meeting attended by a Walt Disney lookalike - – it turned out to be Roy Disney, nephew of the late founder, who was the head of animation – the animator passed around a sketch that had everyone at the table laughing. Eventually Wright got to see the sketch.

“It was a picture of a crab with claws and everything with MY face on it,” Wright told Palmetto Weekend.

Production began and Wright was given free reign with his beloved character. Some of his best lines, he recalled, came from ad libs.

Two songs from the Little Mermaid – Kiss the Girl and Under the Sea – were nominated for Academy Awards for Best Original Soong. Wright, who was on the road doing theatre was not invited to the Oscars. Instead, Geoffrey Holder went to the ceremony and sang Under the Sea. It won the Oscar, beating out Bette Middler for The Rose.

Wright, grateful for the success, felt an urge to give something back to the arts community.

The Wright family moved to Walden in the 1980s, establishing the Hudson Valley Conservatory of the Arts. It was followed by the creating of the New Rose Theatre, a small black box theatre created inside a former hardware store in the Walden Mini Mall. The theatre began creating children’s productions that eventually blossomed into what he called “intergenerational productions” with kids pairing with more experienced actors.

Wright was later cast in the Broadway production of The Lion King as Mufasa and as Kron in the Disney film Dinosaur. Walden residents could recall the limo sent by Disney to pick Wright up at his Walden home and bring him to the theatre.

“We are all connected on this planet,” Wright said in the Palmetto Weekend interview. “Even the dinosaurs to us.”

The Town of Montgomery’s Facebook Page noted that Wright was an inspiration to all.

“Sam and his family have impacted countless Hudson Valley youth always inspiring them to reach higher and dig deeper to become the best version of themselves. 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. He loved to entertain, he loved to make people smile and laugh and he loved to love. The greater Town of Montgomery Community mourns together today. As we say goodbye to a pillar in our community and ask everyone to share a memory and help us celebrate the life of this great man. “

Wright is survived by his wife Amanda and their three children: Keely, Dee and Sam.