Actor Michael Wright, known for roles in “The Five Heartbeats”, “V” and “The Principal”, has died aged 70. His death marks the loss of a performer whose work across film and television reached audiences over several decades.

Wright died in Los Angeles on 19 August after heart failure and complications linked to Marchiafava-Bignami disease, his family said. Born in New York City in 1956, he appeared in more than 50 screen productions, notably playing lead singer Eddie King Jr in the 1991 Motown-inspired drama “The Five Heartbeats”; his other credits included “Oz”, “Streamers”, “Sugar Hill” and “The Wanderers”.