Howard E. Rollins Jr. Biography

Fast Facts

• A wax statue of Rollins, unveiled at Baltimore's Senator Theatre in 2006, was incorporated into the Great Blacks in Wax Museum
• Studied theater and earned his degree at Towson State College
• First realized he had potential as an actor when a friend convinced him to try out for a local Baltimore theater production of "Of Mice and Men․"
• Quote: "[on becoming an actor] "Things made sense to me for the first time in my life․""
• Tall and often imposing, he served as a leading man on the stage and played acclaimed roles on film and television, including Coalhouse Walker Jr․ in "Ragtime" and Virgil Tibbs in "In the Heat of the Night․"
• Played a role in America's first soap opera primarily featuring black actors, "Our Street․"
• Vaguely considered becoming a teacher when he was young