NEW YORK -- Howard Rollins, 46, the actor who starred for five seasons in the TV series "In the Heat of the Night" and who was nominated for an Oscar for his role in "Ragtime," died Dec. 8 at a hospital here.
A spokesman for Mr. Rollins's agent said the actor died of a bacterial infection caused by complications of lymphoma. The spokesman said Mr. Rollins learned that he had cancer only six weeks ago.
"In the Heat of the Night" was based on the award-winning 1967 movie about a white Mississippi police chief who teams with a black detective from the North. For five seasons, Mr. Rollins starred as a black detective from Philadelphia, Virgil Tibbs, opposite Carroll O'Connor as the white southern officer in the series. The show ran from 1988 to 1994, first on NBC, then on CBS.
Reasons given for Mr. Rollins's departure from the program ranged from his wish to return to filmmaking to reports that drug abuse kept him in legal trouble. He was written out of the series after the 1992-93 season, and Carl Weathers was added to the cast.
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His was the second death associated with a star of "In the Heat of the Night." O'Connor's son, Hugh O'Connor, who played a law officer on the show, committed suicide in 1995 at age 33 -- a death his father blamed on his son's 16-year battle with drug addiction. In a statement Monday, O'Connor said he was "deeply saddened" by Mr. Rollins's death. "He was a friend who we loved dearly," O'Connor said. Mr. Rollins, a Baltimore native, was nominated for an Academy Award as best supporting actor for his work in "Ragtime." The 1981 film, which starred James Cagney, included Mr. Rollins as Coalhouse Walker, a proud piano teacher who becomes a vengeful revolutionary. Mr. Rollins also appeared in the 1984 movie "A Soldier's Story."
In 1993, Mr. Rollins spent about a month in jail for driving under the influence and reckless driving. In 1992, he was convicted of driving under the influence of a tranquilizer. In 1988, he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and cocaine possession in Louisiana. CAPTION: HOWARD ROLLINS
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