Howard Ellsworth Rollins, Jr. (October 17, 1950 – December 8, 1996) was an American stage, film and television
actor. Howard Rollins was best known for his role as Andrew Young in 1978's
King, George Haley in the 1979 movie
Roots, Coalhouse Walker, Jr. in the 1981 film
Ragtime, Captain Davenport in the 1984 film
A Soldier's Story, and as Virgil Tibbs on the crime drama for
NBC/
CBS,
In the Heat of the Night.