Actor Michael Wright, best known for his role as troubled singer Eddie King Jr. in the 1991 film “The Five Heartbeats,” has died at 70, his family confirmed this week.
Family members told TMZ that Wright died Wednesday in Los Angeles after suffering heart failure coupled with complications of a rare degenerative neurological disease called Marchiafava-Bignami, according to a report published by the outlet. His wife, Susan Wright, announced the death in a statement posted to Instagram, calling him “so much more than the roles the world knew him for,” Forbes reported in its own coverage.
Mr. Wright was born April 30, 1956, in New York City, and made his screen debut in director Philip Kaufman’s 1979 crime drama “The Wanderers,” playing a supporting role opposite Ken Wahl and Karen Allen. He went on to star as Carlyle in Robert Altman’s 1983 war drama “Streamers,” a role that earned him a share of the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival.
Mr. Wright’s most recognized role came in Robert Townsend’s 1991 musical drama “The Five Heartbeats,” in which he played Eddie King Jr., the gifted but self-destructive lead singer of a fictional 1960s vocal group. He starred opposite Wesley Snipes as brothers Raynathan and Roemello Skuggs in the 1994 crime drama “Sugar Hill.”
His other film credits included “The Principal” opposite Jim Belushi and Louis Gossett Jr., “Money Talks” with Chris Tucker, “Point Blank” with Mickey Rourke, and “The Interpreter” alongside Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn. On television, Mr. Wright played resistance leader Elias Taylor in NBC’s “V” and inmate Omar White in a recurring role on HBO’s prison drama “Oz.” He had a role in the 2025 crime drama “Dope King,” his final screen credit.
Mr. Wright is survived by his wife, Susan Wright, along with his daughter and stepchildren.
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