Howard Rollins
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Howard Rollins | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | Howard Ellsworth Rollins, Jr. 17 October 1950 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Died | 8 December 1996 (aged 46) New York, New York, U.S. |
| Other name(s) | Howard Rollins Jr. Howard E. Rollins Howard Rollins |
Howard Ellsworth Rollins, Jr. (October 17, 1950 – December 8, 1996) was an American television, film, and stage actor.
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[edit] Biography
The youngest of four children, Rollins was born in Baltimore, Maryland where he studied theater at Towson State College nearby. In 1970, he dropped out of college to play the role of "Slick" in the PBS soap opera Our Street. In 1974, moved to New York where he would go 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.
[edit] Legal troubles
In 1988, Rollins was arrested and plead 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 and was replaced by Carl Weathers.[2] After attending drug rehab, he returned to In the Heat of the Night as a guest star.[3]
In the last years of his life, appeared on the TV shows New York Undercover and Remember WENN, in the PBS film Harambee!, and in the theatrical film Drunks.
[edit] Death
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 Theater in Baltimore on . The statue is now at Baltimore's Great Blacks in Wax Museum.[5]
[edit] Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | The Trial of the Moke | Television movie | |
| King | Andrew Young | Miniseries, credited as Howard Rollins | |
| 1979 | Roots: The Next Generations | George Haley | Miniseries |
| My Old Man | Doctor | Television movie | |
| 1981 | Thornwell | Carson | Television movie |
| All My Children | F. B. I. Agent | TV, 1 episode | |
| Ragtime | Coalhouse Walker Jr. | Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor | |
| 1982 | Fridays | Guest host | TV, 1 episode |
| The Neighborhood | Allen Campbell | Television movie | |
| The Member of the Wedding | Honey Brown | Television movie | |
| Another World | Ed Harding | TV, unknown episodes, nominated for Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role in a Daytime Drama Series Daytime Emmy | |
| 1983 | For Us the Living: The Medgar Evers Story | Medgar Evers | Television movie |
| Moving Right Along | TV, unknown episodes | ||
| 1984 | House of Dies Drear | Walter Small | Television movie |
| The House of God | Chuck Johnston | ||
| A Doctor's Story | Dr. Zack Williams | Television movie | |
| A Soldier's Story | Captain Davenport | ||
| He's Fired, She's Hired | Raoul | Television movie | |
| 1985 | Wildside | Bannister Sparks | TV, unknown episodes |
| 1986 | The Boy King | Martin Luther King, Sr. | Television movie |
| The Children of Times Square | Otis Travis | Television movie, alternative title: Street Wise | |
| Johnnie Mae Gibson: FBI | T.C. Russell | Television movie, alternative title: Johnnie Gibson F.B.I., credited as Howard Rollins | |
| 1988-1994 | In the Heat of the Night | Chief of Detectives Virgil Tibbs | TV, 99 episodes, credited as Howard Rollins |
| 1990 | On the Block | Clay Beasley | |
| 1992 | With Murder in Mind | Samuel Carver | Television movie, alternative title: With Savage Intent, credited as Howard Rollins |
| 1994 | In the Heat of the Night: Who Was Geli Bendl? | Virgil Tibbs | Television movie |
| 1995 | New York Undercover | Reverend Hundley | TV, 1 episode |
| Drunks | Joseph | Credited as Howard Rollins | |
| 1996 | Remember WENN | George Smith | TV, 1 episode |
| Harambee! | Chimbuko | Television movie, credited as Howard Rollins |
[edit] Award nominations
| Year | Result | Award | Category | Film or series |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Nominated | Golden Globe Award | New Star of the Year in a Motion Picture | Ragtime |
| Nominated | Golden Globe Award | Best Motion Picture Actor in a Supporting Role | Ragtime | |
| Nominated | Academy Award | Best Supporting Actor | Ragtime | |
| 1983 | Nominated | Daytime Emmy | Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role in a Daytime Drama Series | Another World |
[edit] References
- ^ Eady, Brenda. "Howard Rollins' Stalled Career Marches on with a Soldier's Story", People, 1984-10-01. Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
- ^ Blumenthal, Ralph. "Howard Rollins Is Dead at 46; Star in TV's 'Heat of the Night'", New York Times, 1996-12-10. Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
- ^ "Actor Howard Rollins, 46, succumbs in New York", Jet, 1996-12-23. Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
- ^ Dominguez, Robert. "Howard Rollins, 46, Dies", New York Daily News, 1996-12-10. Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
- ^ Howard Rollins Unveiling at Senator Theater. National Great Blacks In Wax Museum. Retrieved on 2007-10-08.
[edit] External links
- Howard Rollins at the Internet Movie Database
- Howard Rollins at the Internet Broadway Database
- Howard Rollins at TV.com
- Howard Rollins at Find A Grave
- The Howard E. Rollins Foundation
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Rollins, Howard |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Rollins, Howard Ellsworth, Jr.; Rollins, Howard Jr.; Rollins, Howard E. |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Actor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 17, 1950 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 8, 1996 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | New York, New York, U.S. |
