For generations of American movie and television fans, Michael Wright was more than just a familiar face on the screen.

He was Eddie King Jr. — the unforgettable lead singer whose powerful performance helped make The Five Heartbeats a lasting favorite.

Wright died in Los Angeles at the age of 70, his wife Susan confirmed in a statement shared Friday. She remembered him as a beloved husband, father, grandfather, friend and “an extraordinary artist whose work touched generations.”

Born in New York City in 1956, Wright began his acting career in the late 1970s. His breakthrough came with the 1983 film Streamers, for which he won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival.

But for many fans, his defining role came years later.

In Robert Townsend’s 1991 musical drama The Five Heartbeats, Wright portrayed Eddie King Jr., the charismatic lead singer of a fictional R&B group inspired by the golden era of American soul music.

The role gave Wright the chance to show an extraordinary range — ambition, vulnerability, talent and personal struggle — and his performance became one of the most memorable parts of the film. The movie has remained a beloved piece of American pop culture decades after its release.

Wright’s career extended far beyond The Five Heartbeats.

He appeared in The Wanderers, The Principal, Sugar Hill, Money Talks and The Interpreter. Television audiences also knew him as Elias Taylor from V and as Omar White on HBO’s acclaimed prison drama Oz.

His career spanned nearly five decades, allowing different generations to discover his work in different ways.

For some, he will always be Eddie King Jr. standing beneath the stage lights.

For others, he will be remembered from V, Oz, Sugar Hill or one of the many other roles that filled his long career.

But behind all those characters was a man his family described as much more than an actor.

Susan Wright said his talent and contributions would live on, but emphasized that to the people who knew him personally, he was “so much more than the roles the world knew him for.”

Michael Wright is survived by his wife, five children and a grandchild. His family has asked for privacy as they grieve and said they would share more about his life and legacy when they are ready.

For fans who grew up watching him, his passing is not simply the loss of another Hollywood actor.

It is the loss of a familiar face from an era of film and television that many will never forget.

Michael Wright may be gone, but Eddie King Jr. — and the performances that made him unforgettable — will live on.