Howard E Rollins Jr

Biography for Howard E Rollins Jr

Howard E. Rollins Jr. was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1950. He was the youngest of four children born to Howard E. Rollins Sr. (steelworker) and Ruth R. Rollins (domestic worker). Rollins graduated from Towson State College, where he studied theater. His first break into acting came when a friend convinced him to try out for a role in "Of Mice and Men" at a local Baltimore theater. He surprised himself with his acting talent.

He left for New York City in 1974 to further his acting career. Rollins earned an Oscar nomination for the role of Coalhouse Walker Jr. in Ragtime (1981) and an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actor on the ABC daytime drama "Another World" (1964). He is also known for his brilliant portrayal of Virgil Tibbs on the long running hit TV series "In the Heat of the Night" (1988), based on the 1967 movie of the same name. In 1995, he made his final feature film appearance in Drunks (1995).

Rollins was diagnosed with lymphoma in late 1996. Six weeks later, he died of complications from the disease at the age of 46.

Howard e Rollins Jr was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1950. He is the fourth and last child of Howard E Rollins Sr and Ruth R Rollins. He graduated from the Towson Stage College, where he studied theater. His first appearance as an actor, he owes it to a friend who convinced him to play a role in the play "Of Mice and Men" in a local Baltimore theater. He himself was amazed to have actor talents.

In 1974, he left for New York to continue his career. He obtained an Oscar appointment for the role of Coalhouse Walker Jr in "Ragtime" (1981) and an appointment to Emmy for the role of Ed Harding in the dramatic series "Another World" broadcast on ABC from 1964 to 1999.

He is also known for his brilliant interpretation of Virgil Tibbs in the series "In the heat of the night", based on the film of the same name shot in 1967.

Howard E. Rollins Jr. was an American actor known for his roles in films such as Ragtime, A Soldier's Story and in the Heat of the Night. He was born on October 17, 1950 in Baltimore, Maryland, and grew up in the West Baltimore district. Rollins began his acting career by playing in local plays before moving to New York to continue his career.

He made his debut in the cinema in 1981 in the film Ragtime by Miloš Forman, in which he interpreted the role of Coalhouse Walker Jr. This performance earned him an nomination for the Oscars of the best actor in a supporting role. He also received an appointment to the Golden Globe Awards for this role.

In 1984, Rollins played in A Soldier's Story, a film adapted from the play of the same name by Charles Fuller. In this film, he embodies a black army sergeant investigating the death of a black soldier in a military base in the southern United States during the Second World War. This performance earned him a second native nomination for best actor in a supporting role.

In 1987, Rollins played in In the Heat of the Night, a television series in which he interpreted the character of Virgil Tibbs, a police inspector from the North of the United States working in a southern city. The series was a success and was broadcast for seven seasons.

Unfortunately, Rollins' career has been disrupted by personal problems such as depression and drugs. He died on December 8, 1996 in Baltimore, Maryland, at the age of 46. Although his career was short, he left an indelible footprint on the world of cinema and has inspired many other black actors.

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Filmography

Trivia

• Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1981" in John Willis' Screen World, Vol. 33.
• Battled substance abuse problems for many years before his untimely death.

Author of the card

• Creation date: 01/07/2003 by abdest