Samuel E. Wright was born in South Carolina and made his Broadway debut with Jesus Christ Superstar , in which he played first a small part then progressed first to Apostle and - two days before opening - the role of Simon. Owing to Ben Vereen's absence, Wright also played Judas for two months. His credits in the musical version of Two Gentlemen also states that he played in Othello and Hamlet, but does not give details as to where or what roles he played.