Howard Rollins
| Howard Rollins | |
|---|---|
 Howard Rollins in Ragtime |
|
| Born | Howard Ellsworth Rollins, Jr. October 17, 1950 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Died | December 8, 1996 (aged 46) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Other names | Howard Rollins, Jr. Howard E. Rollins Howard E. Rollings, Jr. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1970–1996 |
Howard Ellsworth Rollins, Jr. (October 17, 1950 – December 8, 1996) was an American television, film, and stage actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Coalhouse Walker, Jr. in the film Ragtime, and as Virgil Tibbs on the NBC/CBS television series In the Heat of the Night.
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[edit] Early life and career
The youngest of four children, Rollins was born in Baltimore, Maryland where he studied theater at Towson State College nearby. In 1970, he left college early to play the role of "Slick" in the PBS soap opera Our Street. In 1974, he moved to New York where he went on to appear on Broadway and in television films including Roots: The Next Generations.[1]
In 1982, Rollins was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the Dino De Laurentiis/Miloš Forman motion picture, Ragtime (1981). The following year, he was nominated for an Daytime Emmy for his role on Another World.
In 1984, Rollins starred in director Norman Jewison's film, A Soldier's Story which led to his role as Virgil Tibbs on the In the Heat of the Night television series based on Jewison's acclaimed film In the Heat of the Night.
In the last years of his life, Rollins appeared on the TV shows New York Undercover and Remember WENN (his final acting role), in the PBS film Harambee!, and in the theatrical film Drunks.
[edit] Legal issues
In 1988, Rollins was arrested and pleaded guilty to cocaine possession in Louisiana. In 1993, he served a month in jail for reckless driving and driving under the influence. Because of continued legal problems, Rollins was ultimately dropped from In the Heat of the Night.[2] After attending drug rehab, he returned to In the Heat of the Night as a guest star.[3]
[edit] Death and legacy
Rollins died on December 8, 1996 from complications from lymphoma. He had been diagnosed with the disease approximately six weeks earlier.[4]
On October 25, 2006, a wax statue of Rollins was unveiled at the Senator Theatre in Baltimore. The statue is now at Baltimore's Great Blacks in Wax Museum.[5]
[edit] Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | King | Andrew Young | Miniseries Credited as Howard Rollins |
| 1979 | Roots: The Next Generations | George Haley | Miniseries |
| 1981 | Ragtime | Coalhouse Walker Jr. | Nominated - Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture Nominated - Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year - Actor |
| 1982 | The Member of the Wedding | Honey Brown | Television movie |
| 1982 | Another World | Ed Harding | Unknown episodes Nominated - Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series |
| 1983 | For Us the Living: The Medgar Evers Story | Medgar Evers | Television movie |
| 1984 | House of Dies Drear | Walter Small | Television movie |
| 1984 | The House of God | Chuck Johnston | |
| 1984 | A Soldier's Story | Captain Davenport | |
| 1985 | Wildside | Bannister Sparks | 6 episodes |
| 1986 | The Boy King | Martin Luther King, Sr. | Television movie |
| 1986 | The Children of Times Square | Otis Travis | Television movie |
| 1986 | Johnnie Mae Gibson: FBI | T.C. Russell | Television movie |
| 1988 to 1995 | In the Heat of the Night | Chief of Detectives Virgil Tibbs | 121 episodes |
| 1990 | On the Block | Clay Beasley | |
| 1992 | With Murder in Mind | Samuel Carver | Television movie |
| 1994 | In the Heat of the Night: Who Was Geli Bendl? | Virgil Tibbs | Television movie |
| 1995 | New York Undercover | Reverend Hundley | Episode: "The Smoking Section" |
| 1995 | Drunks | Joseph | |
| 1996 | Remember WENN | George Smith | Episode: "The Emperor Smith" |
| 1996 | Harambee! | Chimbuko | Television movie |
[edit] References
- ^ Eady, Brenda (1984-10-01). "Howard Rollins' Stalled Career Marches on with a Soldier's Story". People. http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20088797,00.html. Retrieved 2008-06-06.
- ^ Blumenthal, Ralph (1996-12-10). "Howard Rollins Is Dead at 46; Star in TV's 'Heat of the Night'". New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=980DE7D9103FF933A25751C1A960958260. Retrieved 2008-06-06.
- ^ "Actor Howard Rollins, 46, succumbs in New York". Jet. 1996-12-23. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_n6_v91/ai_19006833. Retrieved 2008-06-06.
- ^ Dominguez, Robert (1996-12-10). "Howard Rollins, 46, Dies". New York Daily News. http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/1996/12/10/1996-12-10_howard_rollins__46__dies.html. Retrieved 2008-06-06.
- ^ "Howard Rollins Unveiling at Senator Theater". National Great Blacks In Wax Museum. http://www.ngbiwm.com/Exhibits/Howard_Rollins.htm. Retrieved 2007-10-08.
