New details have emerged in the death of Michael Wright, the actor best known as Eddie King Jr. in The Five Heartbeats, who died August 19 at age 70. His family told TMZ he died in Los Angeles from heart failure coupled with complications from Marchiafava-Bignami disease, a rare degenerative neurological condition.
The update came as tributes continued pouring in, including one from NBA Hall of Famer Allen Iverson. "Huge Fan... RIP to the legend Michael Wright," Iverson wrote on Instagram and Facebook. Iverson, who has appeared in films including Like Mike and Imagine That, said he had admired Wright's work for years.
Wright's Five Heartbeats co-star Leon Robinson, actor David Allen Walker, and comedian Loni Love also shared tributes. His wife, Susan Wright, first confirmed his death in an Instagram post, calling him "an extraordinary artist whose work touched generations."
Wright's career spanned more than four decades, from his 1979 debut in The Wanderers to his Volpi Cup-winning performance in Streamers (1983) and later roles in HBO's Oz and Black Lightning. But it was The Five Heartbeats - a story rooted in gospel music and the tension between church and stage - that fans return to most.
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