{"id":6420,"date":"2026-08-22T13:05:37","date_gmt":"2026-08-22T13:05:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=6420"},"modified":"2026-08-22T13:05:37","modified_gmt":"2026-08-22T13:05:37","slug":"actor-michael-wright-star-of-the-five-heartbeats-and-v-dies-at-70","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=6420","title":{"rendered":"Actor Michael Wright, Star of \u2018The Five Heartbeats\u2019 and \u2018V,\u2019 Dies at 70"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nMichael Wright, an actor known for his roles in \u201cThe Five Heartbeats,\u201d \u201cThe Principal\u201d and \u201cV,\u201d has died, according to a statement from his family. He was 70.<\/p>\n

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\n\tHis wife, Susan Wright, announced his death in a post shared Friday evening on Instagram. \u201cIt is with profound sadness and an unimaginable heaviness in my heart that I share the passing of my beloved husband, Michael Wright,\u201d her statement read.<\/p>\n

\n\tWright\u2019s family said he died in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Aug. 19, after suffering heart failure coupled with complications of degenerative neurological disease Marchiafava-Bignami, according to a statement provided to\u00a0TMZ.<\/p>\n

\n\tWright was born on April 30, 1956, in New York City. He appeared in more than 50 movies and TV shows, including the films\u00a0\u201cThe Five Heartbeats,\u201d\u00a0\u201cStreamers,\u201d\u00a0\u201cSugar Hill\u201d and \u201cThe Wanderers.\u201d His TV credits include the 1980s sci-fi series \u201cV\u201d and HBO\u2019s \u201cOz.\u201d In the Robert Townsend-directed 1991 film \u201cThe Five Heartbeats,\u201d about a fictional Motown group, Wright played the band\u2019s lead vocalist, Eddie King Jr.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cMichael was a husband, a father (Manon Wright, Byron Barr, Brittney Briggs, Brianna Barr, Sir Barr, a grandfather (Yoko), loved one, a friend, and an extraordinary artist whose work touched generations,\u201d Susan\u2019s statement said. \u201cMany knew and loved him through \u2018The Five Heartbeats,\u2019 \u2018The Wanderers,\u2019 \u2018V,\u2019 \u2018The Principal,\u2019 \u2018Streamers,\u2019 and the many other characters he brought to life throughout his remarkable career. His talent, presence, and contributions to film and television will live on, but to those of us who loved him personally, he was so much more than the roles the world knew him for.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\tHer statement continued, \u201cOur family is grieving an enormous and deeply personal loss. We understand how much Michael meant to so many people, and we are grateful for the love, prayers, memories, and condolences already being shared. \u2026 In the coming days, when we are ready, we will share additional information regarding Michael\u2019s life, legacy, and how we intend to honor and celebrate him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tSusan concluded her post, \u201cMichael, your work will live forever, but your love will live even longer in the hearts of those who knew you best. Rest peacefully, my love. You will be missed beyond words.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tIn a 2021 interview with Sheen Magazine, Wright said, \u201cThe greatest sin an actor can commit is to fail to be interesting. I always try to make my characters interesting. I want you to be riveted and wonder what\u2019s going on behind my eyes.\u201d Wright also said there wasn\u2019t anything in his life he would do over: \u201cI\u2019ve done everything I have wanted to do. I\u2019ve been everywhere, I speak five different languages. I have seen the world; I love my experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Here\u2019s How to Watch 2026 Indycar Series Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. Live Online<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Actor Michael Wright, known for “The Five Heartbeats,” “The Principal” and “V,” has died, according to a statement from his family. He was 70.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6419,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[4972],"class_list":["post-6420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-film","tag-michael-wright"],"yoast_head":"\nActor Michael Wright, Star of \u2018The Five Heartbeats\u2019 and \u2018V,\u2019 Dies at 70 - Relocation Observer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=6420\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Actor Michael Wright, Star of \u2018The Five Heartbeats\u2019 and \u2018V,\u2019 Dies at 70 - Relocation Observer\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Actor Michael Wright, known for "The Five Heartbeats," "The Principal" and "V," has died, according to a statement from his family. 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