Howard Rollins, a compelling actor on television and film

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Among the top theater stories is the current revival of the musical “Ragtime,” not on Broadway but at the New York City Center. Any mention of ragtime brings to mind Scott Joplin, whose mastery of the genre is well known, and Howard E. Rollins, Jr., the actor who portrayed one of the leading characters in the film version of E.L. Doctorow’s captivating novel.

Rollins, best known for his role as Coalhouse Walker, Jr. in the 1981 film, was born October 17, 1950 in Baltimore. He was the youngest of Howard Ellsworth Rollins and Ruth’s four children. His father worked in the steel industry and his mother was a housekeeper. Rollins attended Northern High School from which he graduated in 1968. He went almost immediately to Towson University where he studied theater.

It was a brief stay at Towson before he left to take a role of Slick in the PBS soap opera “Our Street.” He moved to New York City in 1974 and appeared in several productions, including “We Interrupt This Program” (1975), “The Mighty Gents” (1978), and “G.R. Point” (1979). More notably he performed in television miniseries “King” and “Roots: The Next Generation.” Rollins made his film debut in “Ragtime” in 1981. His performance in the film earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 1982 (John Gielgud won the award for his role in “Arthur.”)

Related: Joshua Henry on dream role in ‘Ragtime’ at NYCC

In 1983, he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for his role on “Another World.” Also, during this year he portrayed Medgar Evers in “For Us the Living: The Medgar Evers Story,” based on the book by his widow, Myrlie Evers-Williams. The following year he was back in films in Norman Jewison’s “A Soldier’s Story.” His relationship with Jewison continued with his role as Virgil Tibbs on television series “In the Heat of the Night” that began in 1988.

During this phase of acting career, Rollins was troubled with alcohol and drug addiction. He was arrested four times for being under the influence and reckless driving. At the end of the sixth season of the series, he was dismissed.

He made several guest appearances on the show and for the 1991 Christmas CD of the show with music by Randall Franks; it featured Rollins telling a Christmas story to children related to fellow cast members. He regained sobriety and worked to reestablish his career, even performing in a film entitled “Drunks.” In 1996, his last television role in his lifetime, he appeared in a guest role on “Remember WENN.” His final acting role was in the 1996 television movie “Harambee!” Later, in the fall of 1996, he was diagnosed with AIDS, and six weeks later on December 6, he died at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City from lymphoma-related complications.

His funeral was held on December 13 in his hometown of Baltimore and he is interred in Woodlawn Cemetery. In 2006, a wax statue of him was unveiled at the Senator Theater in Baltimore and he was inducted into the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum. He never married or had any children. Baseball great, Jimmy Rollins, is a distant relative. Included among his awards are nominations for two Golden Globes and an Emmy, and a New York Film Critics Circle award. He was honored with the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series in 1989.