(Todd A. Smith)
While the world, understandably, mourns the loss of country music legend Dolly Parton, RegalMag.com would be remiss not to honor actors Michael Wright, 70, (“The Five Heartbeats”) and Samuel Monroe, Jr., 52, (“Menace II Society”).
Although Wright and Monroe did not impact the entertainment world like Parton, their impact was monumental to the African-American community because their performances and movies will outlive them in the hearts and minds of many members of the Black community.
According to Jaelani Turner-Williams of Complex, “Born in New York City on April 30, 1956, Wright began his professional stage career by 1978 and spent more than four decades working across film and television. His early breakthrough came in the 1979 film The Wanderers, followed by Robert Altman’s 1983 Vietnam War drama Streamers, where his portrayal of the troubled Carlyle earned him, alongside his castmates, the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival.
“Wright went on to have roles opposite Jim Belushi in the 1987 film ‘The Principal,’ appeared alongside Wesley Snipes in ‘Sugar Hill’ in 1994, and played Omar White in 22 episodes of former HBO prison drama ‘Oz’.”
For people of my age range, Wright was an unknown until we saw him as Eddie in “The Five Heartbeats,” a fictional story about a 1960s soul group, written by Robert Townsend and Keenen Ivory Wayans.
I can remember going to the Festival Six movie theater on the Northwest Freeway in Houston with my father to watch the movie.
My sister, who did not like anything old school at the time, did not want to go.
But when she finally saw “The Five Heartbeats,” it became one of her favorites because of the unforgettable music and Wright’s unforgettable performance.
Although the movie starred Leon, Townsend, Diahann Carroll and Harold Nicholas, Wright’s performance as the troubled lead singer Eddie became the most quotable.
Very few people quote lines from Dresser, Duck, JT or Choir Boy.
But everyone who has seen “The Five Heartbeats” knows Eddie’s quotables.
“Y’all sure y’all wanna hang with ole Eddie King?”
“Can’t nobody sing like Eddie King, Jr.”
“I don’t need no ashtray. The whole world a ashtray.”
“Dannnng. Nights like this, I wish raindrops would fall. Nights like this…”
And who could forget how Eddie handled the haters and hecklers during The Five Heartbeats’ performance of “A Heart is a House” or when he was running for his life right before the group’s performance of “Nothin’ But Love?”
But Wright’s quotables were not limited to the 1991 classic, “The Five Heartbeats.”
Who could forget when he told Charlie Sheen, or as he put it, Dan Rather, if he didn’t shut up, the last report he would hear was his oozy going off in his a$$ in “Money Talks,” opposite Chris Tucker?
Or what about him shooting someone while singing “Love TKO” by Teddy Pendergrass in “Sugar Hill,” opposite Wesley Snipes?
When an actor plays with bigger stars, and their lines are the ones that moviegoers remember, that is a testament to how talented the thespian is.
And Wright was definitely that talented and then some.
Although Monroe did not have the big roles that Wright had, he left an indelible mark on the movies that he starred in, too.
Monroe passed after a months-long battle with meningitis and pneumonia.
TMZ reported, “In April, Sam was hospitalized with a severe case of meningitis and MRSA pneumonia — a serious lung infection — as well as other medical issues.”
The thing is … TMZ reached out to the hospital Thursday morning, and a rep told us that Sam had been discharged alive.”
Who could forget his slow gangsta trot in “Menace II Society when he and his boys wanted to get some get-back after Caine (Tyrin Turner) gave him a beat down?
Who could forget him coercing his “friend” into getting Acorn Projects cut into his hair so that law enforcement would mistake him for a bank robber in “Set It Off?”
And who could forget why he never got married in “The Player’s Club?’
Although Monroe often played the thug or gangsta, he showed he could poke fun at his movie roles in the parody “Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood” with Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans.
TMZ reported, “In addition, Sam scored parts in TV shows such as ‘NYPD Blue,’ ‘Murder One,’ ‘Smart Guy,’ ‘Southland,’ and ‘The Lion’s Den.’”
Many actors would scoff at being typecast.
However, Monroe was so good in his lane, why would he venture too far off from his bread and butter?
Although the national evening news did not cover Wright and Monroe’s death like it did Parton‘s, those two brothers will not be forgotten within the Black community.
They gave us some of our favorite characters.
Those characters were often flawed.
But we saw their humanity.
More importantly, we saw Wright and Monroe’s talent.
And Black Hollywood is in a better place because of their enormous contributions.
So while people who had more mainstream success get more love from the mainstream press, it is important that the Black press honor their fallen icons as well.
Wright and Monroe made a huge impact on Black Hollywood, especially in the 1990s, when we saw a plethora of Black movies grace the big screen thanks to a young group of Black filmmakers that changed the game forever.
The success they enjoyed paved the way for true Black media moguls in the 21st century because White Hollywood reluctantly saw the profitability of the Black community.
Thanks to both of you for the wonderful memories.
You will be sorely missed, but never forgotten.
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