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

The electrifying actor also appeared in "V" and won the Volpi Cup for "Streamers"

Michael Wright, best known for his electrifying performance as the lead singer of an R&B group in Robert Townsend’s “The Five Heartbeats,” died on Aug. 17 from heart failure. He was 70.

Susan Wright, the actor’s wife, announced his death in an Instagram post, writing, “it is with profound sadness and an unimaginable heaviness in my heart that I share the passing of my beloved husband, Michael Wright.”

Wright appeared frequently on film and television throughout his career. He was part of the ensemble cast of the Vietnam War drama “Streamers” that collectively won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the 1983 Venice Film Festival and also appeared in the 1979 coming-of-age drama “The Wanderers.”

On TV, Wright starred in HBO’s groundbreaking prison series “Oz,” as well as the sci-fi miniseries “V” and its follow-ups “V: The Final Battle,” and “V: The Series.” Other credits included the superhero series “Black Lightning” and such films as “The Principal,” “Sugar Hill,” and “The Interpreter.”

But “The Five Heartbeats,” in which Wright portrayed a singer with a dazzling voice and a dizzying array of personal problems that leave him struggling with poverty and substance abuse, gave the actor his greatest showcase. In a 2021 interview with Sheen Magazine, Wright revealed that the part had originally been written with Denzel Washington in mind, but a chance encounter with Townsend, who directed the film and co-wrote its script, changed the course of his career.

“My mom had a restaurant named, ‘Jezebel’ … and Robert was there with a date one night,” Wright said. “After he finished his meal, I invited him over to my apartment which was two blocks from the restaurant. I wanted him to screen a film that I had done in Japan called, ‘Bedtime Lies.’ He watched the film with his companion, and then he said, ‘Mike, Mike, Mike … this is the most amazing acting that I have ever seen.’ He told me that he and Keenan were writing this film and there was a role for Denzel … but he told me that I was the guy. He told me they would be starting on it in six months and that they would be in touch. Low and behold, six months passed, and he called me up and asked me, ‘Are you ready?’ and I said, ‘Of course, I’m an actor, I’m always ready.'”

In her Instagram message, Susan Wright remembered the actor as “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.”

She concluded with, “Michael, 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.”