Howard Rollins

Infobox actor
name = Howard Rollins

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imagesize =
birthname = Howard Ellsworth Rollins, Jr.
birthdate = birth date|1950|10|17|df=y
location = Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
deathdate = death date and age|1996|12|8|1950|10|17|df=y
deathplace = New York, New York, U.S.
othername = 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.

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 "". [cite news|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20088797,00.html|title=Howard Rollins' Stalled Career Marches on with a Soldier's Story|last=Eady|first=Brenda |date=1984-10-01|publisher="People"|accessdate=2008-06-06]

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".

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. [cite news|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=980DE7D9103FF933A25751C1A960958260|title= Howard Rollins Is Dead at 46; Star in TV's 'Heat of the Night'|last=Blumenthal|first=Ralph|date=1996-12-10|publisher="New York Times"|accessdate=2008-06-06] After attending drug rehab, he returned to "In the Heat of the Night" as a guest star. [cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_n6_v91/ai_19006833|title=Actor Howard Rollins, 46, succumbs in New York |date=1996-12-23|publisher="Jet"|accessdate=2008-06-06]

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".

Death

Rollins died on December 8, 1996 from complications from lymphoma. He had been diagnosed with the disease approximately six weeks earlier. [cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/1996/12/10/1996-12-10_howard_rollins__46__dies.html|title=Howard Rollins, 46, Dies|last=Dominguez|first=Robert|date=1996-12-10|publisher="New York Daily News"|accessdate=2008-06-06]

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. [cite web | author= | title=Howard Rollins Unveiling at Senator Theater | url=http://www.ngbiwm.com/Exhibits/Howard_Rollins.htm | publisher=National Great Blacks In Wax Museum | date= | accessdate=2007-10-08]

Filmography

Award nominations

References

External links

*imdb name|0738415
*ibdb|id=87239
*tv.com person|id=8949
*Find A Grave|id=5816694
* [http://www.howarderollinsfoundation.org/ 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.