Michael Wright, the actor best remembered as Eddie King Jr. in the 1991 gospel-soul classic The Five Heartbeats, has died at age 70. His wife, Susan Wright, confirmed his passing in an Instagram post on Friday, August 21.
"It is with profound sadness and an unimaginable heaviness in my heart that I share the passing of my beloved husband, Michael Wright," Susan wrote, adding that he was a husband, father, grandfather, and "an extraordinary artist whose work touched generations." A cause of death has not been released, and the family has asked for privacy, saying more details will come "in the coming days."
Wright's career spanned more than four decades, including The Wanderers (1979), NBC's V franchise as Elias Taylor, HBO's Oz as Omar White, and Black Lightning as Lazarus Prime. He won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival for his role in Robert Altman's Streamers (1983).
But it's The Five Heartbeats that cemented his legacy in Black cinema - a film built around a gospel-rooted brotherhood, with a storyline that follows a choir boy torn between his father's church and the secular stage. Fans have spent over three decades quoting Wright's performance as the group's gifted, troubled lead singer.
His Five Heartbeats co-star Leon (Robinson) paid tribute on Instagram: "We made history together... you made your mark and for that you will be remembered, my friend."
