Michael Wright, who starred in such films as The Five Heartbeats, The Principal and Sugar Hill, as well as the TV series V, has died.

Family members told TMZ in a statement that Wright died on Wednesday of heart failure and complications of Marchiafava-Bignami, which is a rare degenerative neurological disease. He was 70.

“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 actor’s wife, Susan Wright, wrote in a tribute on Instagram (via Variety). "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.”

Directed by Robert Townshend from a screenplay by Townshend and Keenan Ivory Wayans, 1991’s The Five Heartbeats chronicled the fictional singing group of the same name. Wright plays Eddie King Jr., the talented but troubled lead singer of the group.

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