Michael Wright, Star of ‘The Five Heartbeats,’ Dies at 70

The Death

Michael Wright died Friday night, August 21. He was 70. His wife, Susan Wright, confirmed the news on Instagram. She wrote that it was with profound sadness and an unimaginable heaviness in her heart that she shared the passing of her beloved husband. No cause of death was given. The family requested space and time to grieve without public intrusion.
Susan described her husband as a husband, father, grandfather, friend, and an extraordinary artist whose work touched generations. His children are Manon Wright, Byron Barr, Brittney Briggs, Brianna Barr, and Sir Barr. He is also survived by a grandchild named Yoko.

His Career

Wright’s acting career stretched across more than four decades. He broke through in 1979 with a role in The Wanderers, a coming-of-age film set in the Bronx. He followed that with a part in the 1983 military drama Streamers, directed by Robert Altman. His performance in that film earned him the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival — one of the most prestigious acting awards in European cinema.
He went on to appear in V: The Series, The Principal, New York Undercover, Oz, Black Lightning, and The Laundromat, among many others. His range across film and television made him one of the more versatile character actors of his generation.

Eddie King Jr. and The Five Heartbeats

Wright’s most celebrated role came in 1991. Director Robert Townsend cast him as Eddie King Jr. in The Five Heartbeats, a musical drama following the rise and fall of a 1960s R&B vocal group. Wright played the group’s lead singer — charismatic, self-destructive, and ultimately tragic. The performance required him to carry the emotional weight of the entire film, and he did.
The film had a complicated reception. Critics were lukewarm at best. The Los Angeles Times called it a shallow showbiz drama. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 39 percent score from professional reviewers. At the box office, it grossed just $8.8 million in the United States.
Audiences disagreed completely. Over time, through VHS copies and cable television, The Five Heartbeats found a devoted fanbase. More than 10,000 audience members on Rotten Tomatoes have given it a 95 percent score. For many Black families in America, the film became a Sunday tradition — something passed down between generations. Wright’s performance as Eddie was the reason.

Tributes

His Five Heartbeats co-star Leon Robinson posted a tribute on Instagram. He wrote that they made history together, were honored together, and that Wright had left his mark. He called him a friend who would be remembered.
Source: Just Jared, Men’s Journal, Majic ATL, India TV News, India.com, Times Now World