Michael Wright, a talented actor known for his roles in the 1991 musical “The Five Heartbeats” and the 1994 crime drama “Sugar Hill,” has died. He was 70.
No cause of death was released.
“Michael 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,” his wife, Susan, said in a statement.
“Many knew and loved him through The Five Heartbeats, The Wanderers, V, The Principal, Streamers, and the many other characters he brought to life throughout his remarkable career,” the statement continued. “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.”
Leon Robinson, his “Five Heartbeats” co-star, also paid tribute to the late actor. “We made History together, we were honored together, you made your mark and for that you will be remembered, my friend,” he wrote on social media.
Born in New York, Wright attended the now-defunct New Lincoln School and later enrolled in the famed Lee Strasberg Institute, where he honed his skills as an actor.
His acting career began with his role as Clinton Stitch in the 1979 crime drama “The Wanderers.” He later appeared in the 1980s TV miniseries “V” and the 1983 war film “Streamers,” for which he won a Volpi Cup for Best Actor for his stellar performance as the volatile soldier Carlyle.
In 1991, Wright portrayed Eddie King Jr. (also pronounced Kang) in “The Five Heartbeats,” starring alongside the film’s director Robert Townsend, Harry Lennix, Leon Robinson, and Tico Wells.
Wright had a knack for portraying passionate characters. He then pushed himself further as the intimidating Raynathan “Ray” Skuggs in “Sugar Hill,” and into the early aughts as the troubled Omar White on HBO’s “Oz.”
“The 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’s going on behind my eyes,” Wright told Sheen Magazine in 2021.
“I want the audience to think along with me and go on an internal journey. It’s the minute things that you do that make a characterization compelling.”