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Howard E. Rollins Jr.

Howard E. Rollins Jr.

Actor · Died December 8, 1996, aged 46 · Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.

Howard Rollins (October 17, 1950 – December 8, 1996) was an American television, film, and stage actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Coalhouse Walker Jr. in Ragtime and Virgil Tibbs on In the Heat of the Night.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 17, 1950
Died
December 8, 1996 (aged 46)
From
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Works as
Actor
Titles
15 on MovieCove · 29 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 17% in 30 days

What are Howard E. Rollins Jr.'s films like?

Across their 9 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.

Genres

Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 60th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 44th percentile
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
27%
Self
25%
Society
17%
Power
11%
Bonds
10%
Survival
10%
Justice6 titles, browse their movies with this themePrejudice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 8 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 1 · Serious 1 · Dark 6

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 7 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 5 · Intense 2

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 2 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 3 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 7 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

6 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 3 of 6 analyzed roles.

Hero
3 of 6
Shadow
2 of 6
Mentor
1 of 6

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
7
Melancholic
4
Contemplative
3
Hopeful
3
Triumphant
2
Other
4

How their films linger

Thought-provoking8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet6

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Howard E. Rollins Jr.'s films?

As of October 24, 2026, 8 of their 15 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Howard E. Rollins Jr.'s titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

29 credits, 15 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Remembering Ragtime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Coalhouse Walker Jr. (archive footage)

  • Drunks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Joseph

  • Harambee! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Chimbuko

  • Remember WENN(1996)

    Show 1 episode · as George Smith

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • New York Undercover(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Reverend Hundley

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows

  • With Murder in Mind(1992)

    as Samuel Carver

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • On the Block (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Clay Beasley

  • En el calor de la noche (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 1 episode · as Chief of Detectives Virgil Tibbs

  • In the Heat of the Night(1988)

    Show 119 episodes · as Virgil Tibbs

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Johnnie Mae Gibson: FBI(1986)

    as T.C. Russell

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Children of Times Square(1986)

    as Otis Travis

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The Boy King (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Rev. Martin Luther King Sr.

  • Wildside (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 6 episodes · Actor

  • He's Fired, She's Hired(1984)

    as Raoul

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • A Soldier's Story(1984)

    as Captain Davenport

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The House of Dies Drear(1984)

    as Walter Small

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • A Doctor's Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Dr. Zack Williams

  • The House of God(1981)

    as Chuck Johnston

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • For Us, the Living: The Story of Medgar Evers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Medgar Evers

  • The Member of the Wedding (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Honey Brown

  • The Neighborhood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Allen Campbell

  • American Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Medgar Evers

  • Ragtime(1981)

    as Coalhouse Walker Jr.

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Thornwell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Carson

  • My Old Man(1979)

    as Doctor

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Roots: The Next Generations(1979)

    Show 1 episode · as George Haley

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • The Trial of the Moke(1978)

    as James Smith

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • King(1978)

    Show 3 episodes · as Andrew Young

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • Another World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1,547 episodes · Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 85th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 29 titles from 1964 to 2004.

Biggest box office

A Soldier's Story (1984)

$22M worldwide

Highest rated

A Soldier's Story (1984)

Midcredits 86th

Most popular right now

In the Heat of the Night (1988)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting29 of 29: 29 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score60th

By decade

1960s1 · acting1970s4 · acting1980s17 · acting1990s6 · acting2000s1 · acting

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Howard E. Rollins Jr.'s films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 46th percentile, the median of all 10; across their 8 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 46th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Approval · how many liked their films

51stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Reach · how many have seen their films

29thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Midcredits score across 15 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

6 of their 15 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser6
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · actor

The Trial of the Moke (1978)

91st percentile spread · 35% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

A Soldier's Story (1984)

Midcredits 86th · 77% liked

Reviewers score the acting 74/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 56. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Howard E. Rollins Jr. work with?

People who share at least 2 of Howard E. Rollins Jr.'s MovieCove titles; Moses Gunn shares the most, 2.